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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 120 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. scale — size or range
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. club — for golf
  8. race — a contest
  9. scale — in music
  10. spring — a coil
  11. season — of the year
  12. sharp — clever
  13. race — humankind
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. season — in sport
  17. race — the arms race
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — a group
  21. spring — the season
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. spring — of water
  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