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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — clothes
  5. row — a line
  6. pit — in a race
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. fine — all right
  10. key — for a lock
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. drill — a practice
  13. row — to paddle
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. fine — high quality
  17. chest — of your body
  18. drill — the tool
  19. pit — a hole
  20. key — the most important part
  21. suit — in cards
  22. drill — army training
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. key — in music

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