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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 116 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. season — of the year
  3. suit — to fit
  4. present — there
  5. season — in sport
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. scale — in music
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rule — government
  11. present — the time now
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. squash — the sport
  14. rule — a law
  15. suit — clothes
  16. squash — to crush
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. suit — in cards
  22. scale — size or range
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. present — a gift

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