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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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. roll — a cake
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. roll — a list
  6. cue — for pool
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. ground — the earth
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bank — for money
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bank — for money
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. race — humankind
  16. ground — crushed
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bank — of a river
  21. race — a contest
  22. ground — a position
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — a signal

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