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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 the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — letters
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. season — of the year
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. court — of law
  9. saw — the tool
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. swing — in golf
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — to bear
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — music
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of a king
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. spell — magic
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. saw — the tool
  24. season — in sport

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