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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. fall — the season
  9. ball — a great time
  10. fall — to drop
  11. current — electric
  12. spring — the season
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. current — of water
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. spring — of water
  18. current — happening now
  19. fall — to drop
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. ball — a dance
  22. spring — a coil
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. pass — a permit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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