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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 took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. ball — a dance
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. net — in sport
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. net — for catching
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. shower — to wash
  15. ball — a great time
  16. net — after costs
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. jam — a tight spot

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