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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fine — high quality
  5. present — the time now
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. present — there
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. last — finally
  12. bat — the animal
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. firm — decided
  15. last — to go on
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — a company
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. present — a gift
  22. last — final
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. fine — all right

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