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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. staff — a stick
  6. track — to keep track
  7. season — of the year
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pop — music
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. season — in sport
  14. staff — employees
  15. pop — soda
  16. staff — employees
  17. track — a song
  18. swing — to play on
  19. pop — to visit
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. swing — music
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. track — a path
  24. swing — in golf

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