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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. row — a line
  4. chip — to eat
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chip — for betting
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bulb — for light
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. last — to go on
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. last — finally
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. row — to paddle
  24. rock — music

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