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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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. chest — of your body
  4. date — the fruit
  5. lie — to recline
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. board — to get on
  9. chest — of your body
  10. capital — a city
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. roll — a list
  13. deal — to handle
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. roll — a cake
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. board — a committee
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. chest — a box
  20. capital — money
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. deal — a big deal

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