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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 116 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a cup
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. capital — a city
  6. drill — army training
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. mug — a face
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. court — of law
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. fine — all right
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — the tool
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. cabinet — ministers

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