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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. ball — a dance
  3. band — a music group
  4. degree — temperature
  5. staff — employees
  6. suit — to fit
  7. degree — from a university
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. band — a ring
  12. suit — clothes
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ball — a great time
  17. degree — an amount
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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