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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. suit — in cards
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. charge — in control
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. suit — to fit
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. file — a document
  10. spell — letters
  11. toast — bread
  12. suit — clothes
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. charge — electricity
  18. file — a line of people
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — magic
  21. scale — size or range
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. charge — a price
  24. file — a tool

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