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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. content — the amount
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. content — happy
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. chair — a leader
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. chair — a professorship

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