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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bark — to shout
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. cue — a signal
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. capital — a city
  10. fine — all right
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — for pool
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. spell — letters
  19. capital — money
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. spell — magic
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bowl — a dish

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