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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  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. cabinet — ministers
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. drill — army training
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. drill — a practice
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fork — in a road
  11. chest — a box
  12. root — of a word
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. ball — a great time
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a plant
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. drill — the tool
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. coach — a trainer
  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