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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. ball — a great time
  5. mate — to breed
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. season — of the year
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. dip — to sink
  13. rock — music
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. mate — a partner
  19. rock — a stone
  20. sharp — clever
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. deal — to handle
  23. ball — a dance
  24. mate — a friend

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