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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.

Make a worksheet

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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. march — the month
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. wind — moving air
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. march — the month
  12. fine — all right
  13. game — wild animals
  14. fine — high quality
  15. lean — to bend
  16. game — a match
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. march — music
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. dip — to sink
  24. wind — moving air

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