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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 116 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. clip — a video
  4. object — to protest
  5. bear — the animal
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — an aim
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. clip — to cut
  11. game — wild animals
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. clip — for paper
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bowl — a dish

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