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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. cap — a lid
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. cap — a hat
  10. board — a committee
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fork — in a road
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. content — happy
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — all right
  22. board — to get on
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. kid — child

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