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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pitcher — a jug

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