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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — soda
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chest — a box
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. chest — of your body
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. rule — government
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pop — music
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. chip — to eat
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. rush — to hurry

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