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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. squash — to crush
  5. chest — of your body
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. squash — the sport
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. firm — steady
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. wake — a trail
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. firm — a company
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — money
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chest — of your body
  20. toast — bread
  21. firm — decided
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. chest — a box
  24. capital — a city

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