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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. spell — a short time
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — the underground
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. band — a music group
  13. deal — to handle
  14. suit — in cards
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. suit — clothes
  18. spell — letters
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. spell — magic
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. suit — to fit
  24. band — a ring

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