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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rash — a series
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. key — in music
  5. track — to keep track
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. rash — hasty
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. track — a song
  11. mine — for digging
  12. track — a path
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. lean — thin
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. racket — for tennis

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