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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. suit — clothes
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. mine — for digging
  6. rule — government
  7. suit — to fit
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. can — a tin
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rule — a law
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. suit — in cards
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. can — a tin
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. prune — to trim
  23. sharp — clever
  24. rule — to rule out

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