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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. chair — a leader
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pit — in a race
  9. key — for a lock
  10. mark — a grade
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. spring — of water
  15. key — in music
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. spring — a coil
  20. key — the most important part
  21. fork — in a road
  22. pit — a hole
  23. mark — a trace
  24. spring — the season

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