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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 120 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pitch — completely
  13. wake — a trail
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. scale — size or range
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitch — a sports field

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