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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — clothes
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — happy
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. plane — a tool
  14. perch — the fish
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — help
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. content — the amount
  23. suit — to fit
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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