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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 120 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. row — a line
  10. row — to paddle
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bound — obliged
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. content — happy
  19. content — the amount
  20. wake — a trail
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bound — tied together
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bound — certain

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