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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. hand — help
  3. fine — high quality
  4. present — a gift
  5. staff — employees
  6. can — a tin
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. present — the time now
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — to visit
  14. present — there
  15. pop — soda
  16. spring — a coil
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. can — a tin
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — the season
  23. fine — all right
  24. hand — in cards

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