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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.

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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. track — a path
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. track — a song
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. game — wild animals
  8. lie — to recline
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. game — a match
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. track — to keep track
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. hide — to keep secret

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