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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. track — to keep track
  3. present — the time now
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. track — a song
  7. present — there
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — magic
  12. present — a gift
  13. mine — for digging
  14. track — a path
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball

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