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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rock — music
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fork — in a road
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fine — all right
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. hand — in cards
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. rock — a stone
  16. hand — help
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. stand — to bear
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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