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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. suit — clothes
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. suit — to fit
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. suit — in cards
  16. board — to get on
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. chair — a leader
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. prune — to trim
  24. board — a committee

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