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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. land — ground
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — for dancing
  8. can — to be able to
  9. mine — for digging
  10. club — a group
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. can — a tin
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. land — a country
  16. land — to come down
  17. object — a thing
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. object — an aim
  21. can — a tin
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. object — to protest
  24. coach — a trainer

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