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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. court — for sport
  4. object — an aim
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. stem — to come from
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. scale — in music
  15. object — a thing
  16. court — of a king
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. object — to protest
  19. board — to get on
  20. court — of law
  21. board — a committee
  22. mine — for digging
  23. scale — size or range
  24. mine — belonging to me

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