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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. suit — clothes
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. fine — high quality
  6. charge — in control
  7. suit — in cards
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — electricity
  11. stand — to bear
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. fine — all right
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. suit — to fit
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wound — past of 'wind'

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