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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. can — a tin
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. dip — to sink
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pop — to visit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pop — music
  13. can — a tin
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. can — to be able to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com