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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bat — the animal
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rash — a series
  14. bulb — for light
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pitch — completely
  17. rash — hasty
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bulb — for light
  23. plane — in geometry
  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