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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. hand — in cards
  3. current — happening now
  4. stand — to bear
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ball — a dance
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a document
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. hand — help
  13. ball — a great time
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. current — of water
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. current — electric
  21. file — a line of people
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. stand — on your feet

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