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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. band — a music group
  3. suit — in cards
  4. content — happy
  5. hand — in cards
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. present — there
  9. present — a gift
  10. hand — help
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. suit — clothes
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. content — the amount
  21. suit — to fit
  22. band — a ring
  23. present — the time now
  24. racket — for tennis

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