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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stand — to bear
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. pop — soda
  8. row — a line
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. roll — a list
  13. pop — to visit
  14. roll — a cake
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. pop — music
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a quarrel

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