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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. capital — a city
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mate — a partner
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. toast — bread
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mate — a friend
  12. last — finally
  13. last — to go on
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — music
  18. last — final
  19. wake — a trail
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. mate — to breed
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. capital — money
  24. pop — to visit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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