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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. tear — from crying
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. present — a gift
  6. ball — a dance
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. chest — of your body
  9. present — there
  10. chest — a box
  11. date — the fruit
  12. present — the time now
  13. tear — to rip
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — to bear
  17. tear — from crying
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ball — a great time
  21. chest — of your body
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. jam — in traffic

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