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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. cue — a hint
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. row — a line
  6. ground — crushed
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. ground — the earth
  9. kid — to tease
  10. track — a path
  11. mug — a face
  12. track — to keep track
  13. mug — to rob
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. mug — a cup
  17. cue — for pool
  18. kid — child
  19. cue — a signal
  20. row — to paddle
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. ground — a position
  24. coach — a trainer

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