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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. court — of a king
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rock — a stone
  6. stem — to come from
  7. can — to be able to
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pit — a hole
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. drill — a practice
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. court — for sport
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. can — a tin
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. court — of law
  21. can — a tin
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — the tool
  24. rock — music

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