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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. last — finally
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mate — to breed
  5. tear — to rip
  6. spring — a coil
  7. tear — from crying
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. tear — from crying
  10. firm — a company
  11. mate — a friend
  12. last — final
  13. last — to go on
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ball — a great time
  16. firm — steady
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. firm — decided
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mate — a partner

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