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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. current — of water
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. court — for sport
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. scale — in music
  10. court — of law
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. current — electric
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pitch — completely
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. current — happening now
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. court — of a king
  24. pass — a permit

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