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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. track — a song
  7. spell — a short time
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. chip — to eat
  10. spell — magic
  11. chip — for betting
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. current — of water
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. current — electric
  18. track — a path
  19. current — happening now
  20. dip — to sink
  21. spell — letters
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. track — to keep track

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