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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. prune — to trim
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. tube — a container
  5. mug — to rob
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. prune — to trim
  9. charge — a price
  10. bound — certain
  11. mug — a face
  12. charge — in control
  13. bound — tied together
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. tube — the underground
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bound — obliged
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. charge — electricity
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mug — a cup
  22. hand — help
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. perch — the fish

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