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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. track — a song
  6. track — a path
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. deal — to handle
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. ball — a great time
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. present — there
  14. present — a gift
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. row — to paddle
  20. track — to keep track
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pit — in a race
  23. ball — a dance
  24. row — a line

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