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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fine — all right
  3. row — a line
  4. row — to paddle
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — of law
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. craft — boats
  16. tube — the underground
  17. craft — a skill
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. tube — a container
  22. fine — high quality
  23. court — for sport
  24. nail — on a finger

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