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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bulb — for light
  5. spring — the season
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mark — a grade
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. face — to confront
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. face — to point toward
  12. spring — a coil
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. deal — to handle
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. face — part of the head
  22. mark — a trace
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. spring — of water

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