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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. suit — clothes
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. drill — a practice
  6. suit — to fit
  7. net — in sport
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. band — a music group
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — after costs
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. suit — in cards
  17. drill — the tool
  18. band — a ring
  19. drill — army training
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bulb — for light
  23. saw — the tool
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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