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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. ball — a great time
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. root — the cause
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — the arms race
  9. lie — to recline
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. root — of a word
  16. wound — an injury
  17. race — humankind
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. root — of a plant
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. ball — a round shape

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