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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 120 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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. content — happy
  3. board — to get on
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. lean — thin
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. content — the amount
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pass — a permit
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. board — a committee
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. coach — a trainer

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