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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 124 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — for golf
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. plane — a tool
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. club — a group
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. temple — side of the head

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