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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. dip — to sink
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. march — the month
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — high quality
  8. land — a country
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. present — a gift
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. march — music
  14. present — the time now
  15. land — ground
  16. bat — the animal
  17. march — the month
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. fine — all right
  20. land — to come down
  21. present — there
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. dip — to dunk

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