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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. ball — a great time
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. board — to get on
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stock — goods
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. board — a committee
  19. stock — shares
  20. ball — a dance
  21. sharp — clever
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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