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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 120 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fine — all right
  3. hand — in cards
  4. club — for dancing
  5. cap — a lid
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. cap — a hat
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. fine — high quality
  12. hand — help
  13. club — a group
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stem — to come from
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. club — for golf
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. cap — of ice
  24. sharp — clever

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