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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. craft — a skill
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mark — a grade
  6. hand — in cards
  7. mark — a trace
  8. hand — help
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. craft — boats
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses

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