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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. spell — letters
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. spell — magic
  5. object — an aim
  6. spell — a short time
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. net — for catching
  12. object — a thing
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. net — in sport
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. row — to paddle
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. net — after costs
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. object — to protest
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. stand — to bear
  24. row — a line

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