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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. court — of law
  3. cap — a lid
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. scale — in music
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. court — of a king
  10. board — to get on
  11. cap — of ice
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. scale — size or range
  18. court — for sport
  19. bore — to drill
  20. cap — a hat
  21. pit — a hole
  22. board — a committee
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. board — a flat piece

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