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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. swing — to play on
  5. tube — the underground
  6. prune — to trim
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. board — to get on
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. tube — a container
  11. swing — music
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bound — obliged
  15. swing — in golf
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pass — a permit
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bound — tied together
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bound — certain

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