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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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pop — soda
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. file — a line of people
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. game — a match
  10. pass — a permit
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. tube — a container
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. file — a document
  18. game — wild animals
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. file — a tool
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. pop — music
  24. tube — the underground

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