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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. suit — clothes
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. land — ground
  17. foot — a measure
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. ball — a great time
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. ball — a dance
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. suit — to fit
  24. land — a country

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