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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pass — a permit
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. game — a match
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. foot — a measure
  18. rock — music
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fan — a supporter

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