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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. rock — music
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. club — a group
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. clip — a video
  11. degree — temperature
  12. club — for dancing
  13. degree — from a university
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. clip — for paper
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. rock — a stone
  20. clip — to cut
  21. club — for golf
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. degree — an amount
  24. mouse — for a computer

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