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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 116 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. key — in music
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. swing — to play on
  7. file — a tool
  8. bulb — for light
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. file — a document
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bore — to drill
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. swing — music
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bore — to tire
  20. file — a line of people
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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