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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. court — for sport
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. pit — in a race
  7. toast — bread
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. date — the fruit
  11. present — the time now
  12. stem — to come from
  13. present — a gift
  14. pit — a hole
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. court — of law
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. court — of a king
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. present — there

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