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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. mug — to rob
  4. rule — a law
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pop — music
  7. craft — a skill
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. spring — the season
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — of water
  15. deal — to handle
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. pop — soda
  20. bat — the animal
  21. mug — a face
  22. pop — to visit
  23. craft — boats
  24. rule — government

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