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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 120 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. can — a tin
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. shower — to wash
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. can — a tin
  12. season — in sport
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. board — to get on
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. shower — rain
  17. board — a committee
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. season — of the year

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