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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. rock — music
  3. fine — all right
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. present — there
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. present — a gift
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. present — the time now
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. mate — a partner
  14. court — of a king
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. rock — a stone
  17. court — for sport
  18. dip — to sink
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a friend
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. court — of law
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fine — a penalty

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