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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. last — final
  4. last — finally
  5. pit — a hole
  6. roll — a cake
  7. game — a match
  8. last — to go on
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. roll — a list
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. game — wild animals
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pop — soda

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