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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — crushed
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. track — a song
  7. present — there
  8. cap — a hat
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wound — an injury
  11. present — the time now
  12. track — to keep track
  13. present — a gift
  14. track — a path
  15. wound — an injury
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. cap — of ice
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. cap — a lid
  24. ground — the earth

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