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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mug — a cup
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mug — to rob
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. court — of a king
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rock — a stone
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mug — a face
  14. rush — hurry
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. ball — a great time
  21. rock — music
  22. court — of law
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. court — for sport

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