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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mug — to rob
  3. land — a country
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — a cup
  6. land — ground
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. key — in music
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. race — a contest
  13. key — the most important part
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. key — for a lock
  16. stand — to bear
  17. race — humankind
  18. season — of the year
  19. race — the arms race
  20. land — to come down
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. perch — the fish
  24. stand — for spectators

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