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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. net — after costs
  4. lean — to bend
  5. present — there
  6. root — the cause
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. net — for catching
  10. bear — the animal
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. root — of a word
  14. scale — size or range
  15. ball — a dance
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. root — of a plant
  18. lean — thin
  19. net — in sport
  20. scale — in music
  21. present — a gift
  22. bear — the animal
  23. present — the time now
  24. bear — to put up with

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