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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. sharp — clever
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. tube — the underground
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. prune — to trim
  9. board — a committee
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ball — a great time
  19. stand — to bear
  20. tube — a container
  21. board — to get on
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. ball — a dance
  24. sharp — exactly

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