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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pitch — completely
  4. fine — all right
  5. shower — to wash
  6. date — the fruit
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. fine — high quality
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. shower — rain
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. rash — hasty
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. craft — a skill
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rash — a series
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rock — music

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