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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 120 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mug — a cup
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mug — to rob
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. rule — government
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mug — a face
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rule — a law
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. dip — a sauce

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