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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. snap — to click
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. game — a match
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. track — to keep track
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. roll — a cake
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. track — a song
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. track — a path
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — to bear

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