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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. kid — to tease
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. race — the arms race
  10. pop — music
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. race — humankind
  13. fork — in a road
  14. pop — to visit
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — child
  19. fine — all right
  20. season — in sport
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. toast — bread
  24. race — a contest

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