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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of law
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. court — of a king
  15. face — part of the head
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spring — of water
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — to confront
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. spring — the season
  23. stand — to bear
  24. spring — a coil

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