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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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. coach — pulled by horses
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bark — to shout
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rule — a law
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. rash — a series
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rash — hasty
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. prune — to trim
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rule — government
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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