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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rash — a series
  6. scale — in music
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. content — the amount
  9. scale — size or range
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. content — happy
  17. dip — to sink
  18. racket — a loud noise

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