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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. row — to paddle
  6. staff — employees
  7. scale — in music
  8. lie — to recline
  9. roll — a cake
  10. staff — a stick
  11. roll — a list
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. row — a line
  15. staff — employees
  16. content — the amount
  17. stand — to bear
  18. scale — size or range
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. content — happy
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. row — a quarrel

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