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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. band — a ring
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. shower — rain
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. chair — a leader
  10. toast — bread
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. fork — in a road
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. band — a music group
  21. shower — to wash
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. pass — a permit
  24. band — a rubber band

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