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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pound — a weight
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. wind — moving air
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pit — in a race
  18. chip — to eat
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fall — the season

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