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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. object — an aim
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. stand — to bear
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. clip — to cut
  11. wake — a trail
  12. object — to protest
  13. pitch — completely
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. clip — for paper
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. object — a thing
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. plane — a tool
  24. clip — a video

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