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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — a line
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — to fit
  7. row — to paddle
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. club — a group
  11. spring — a coil
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. suit — in cards
  15. club — for dancing
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. club — for golf
  18. spring — of water
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. spring — the season
  22. present — there
  23. present — a gift
  24. net — for catching

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