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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mug — a cup
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bound — certain
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bear — the animal
  8. root — of a word
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bound — tied together
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bear — the animal
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bound — obliged
  17. cap — of ice
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. root — the cause

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