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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. saw — the tool
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cold — not warm
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cold — an illness
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. bulb — for light
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. charge — a price
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. charge — in control
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bulb — for light
  24. racket — a loud noise

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