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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. season — of the year
  3. scale — in music
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. craft — boats
  6. face — to confront
  7. race — a contest
  8. season — in sport
  9. pop — soda
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. wake — a trail
  12. face — to point toward
  13. craft — a skill
  14. scale — size or range
  15. pop — music
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. face — part of the head
  20. pop — to visit
  21. race — the arms race
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. race — humankind
  24. wake — before a funeral

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