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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 116 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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. kid — child
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. board — a committee
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bore — to tire
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bore — to drill
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. board — to get on
  20. chip — to eat
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. can — a tin
  23. lean — thin
  24. racket — for tennis

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