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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. present — there
  4. bass — low music
  5. last — to go on
  6. suit — to fit
  7. present — the time now
  8. last — final
  9. bound — obliged
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bound — tied together
  12. present — a gift
  13. last — finally
  14. bound — certain
  15. saw — the tool
  16. suit — in cards
  17. track — a song
  18. track — a path
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. track — to keep track
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bass — the fish
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bass — the instrument

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