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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 116 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cap — a lid
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. perch — the fish
  5. shower — rain
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. club — for golf
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. rule — a law
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. rule — government
  13. cap — a hat
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. cap — of ice
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. shower — to wash
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — a group
  24. nail — for a hammer

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