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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fork — in a road
  5. toast — bread
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. firm — decided
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rash — hasty
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — steady
  24. rash — a series

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