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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fine — all right
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. game — a match
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — completely
  15. drill — army training
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to click
  21. game — wild animals
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. fine — high quality

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