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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. suit — to fit
  4. wound — an injury
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. suit — clothes
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. suit — in cards
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. pit — a hole
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bowl — to roll

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