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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ground — crushed
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. object — an aim
  9. suit — in cards
  10. band — a ring
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. pitch — completely
  13. ground — the earth
  14. object — to protest
  15. suit — clothes
  16. object — a thing
  17. ground — a position
  18. date — the fruit
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. band — a music group
  21. suit — to fit
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. nail — for a hammer

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