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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. prune — to trim
  4. object — an aim
  5. land — a country
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. land — to come down
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. object — a thing
  16. land — ground
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a leader
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. prune — to trim
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. object — to protest

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