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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. band — a ring
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. band — a music group
  8. sharp — clever
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. deal — to handle
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. season — of the year
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — in sport
  24. coach — a trainer

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