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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. spring — of water
  3. mate — a friend
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. suit — in cards
  10. spring — a coil
  11. file — a document
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mate — a partner
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bulb — for light
  24. spring — 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