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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. suit — to fit
  4. pop — music
  5. cap — a hat
  6. pop — soda
  7. cap — a lid
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — the time now
  10. bark — to shout
  11. present — there
  12. cap — of ice
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. band — a ring
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. band — a music group
  20. suit — in cards
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pop — to visit

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