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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. squash — to crush
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. pop — soda
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. fall — the season
  15. pop — music
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mark — a grade
  18. fall — to drop
  19. squash — the sport
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. pop — to visit
  22. mark — a trace
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. coach — a trainer

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