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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rule — a law
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. pound — a weight
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — for digging
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. court — of law
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. court — of a king
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. court — for sport
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. chip — to eat
  20. current — electric
  21. rule — government
  22. stand — to bear
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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