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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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. coach — pulled by horses
  2. present — the time now
  3. mate — to breed
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — for golf
  6. object — a thing
  7. cap — a lid
  8. present — there
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — temperature
  11. mate — a friend
  12. object — to protest
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rule — government
  15. present — a gift
  16. degree — from a university
  17. object — an aim
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. cap — of ice
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mate — a partner
  22. rule — a law
  23. club — a group
  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