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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. court — of law
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bore — to tire
  9. fine — all right
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bore — to drill
  17. court — of a king
  18. squash — to crush
  19. court — for sport
  20. fine — high quality
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — hurry
  24. mine — for digging

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