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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. ball — a dance
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bound — certain
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. rest — a break
  7. row — to paddle
  8. ball — a great time
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bound — tied together
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. charge — a price
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. charge — in control
  15. row — a line
  16. pitch — completely
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. charge — electricity
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bound — obliged
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. coach — a trainer

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