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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. rule — a law
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. stock — goods
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pass — a permit
  15. rule — government
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. wake — a trail
  21. stock — shares
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. mine — an explosive

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