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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bound — obliged
  5. cue — for pool
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bound — tied together
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. pop — to visit
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. cue — a hint
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cue — a signal
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bound — certain
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. shower — rain
  20. pop — music
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pop — soda
  23. shower — to wash
  24. row — a line

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