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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 116 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. firm — steady
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. season — in sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. season — of the year
  7. last — to go on
  8. face — to confront
  9. court — for sport
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. squash — the sport
  13. last — finally
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. board — to get on
  18. court — of law
  19. squash — to crush
  20. firm — a company
  21. last — final
  22. court — of a king
  23. firm — decided
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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