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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 120 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. track — a path
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. band — a ring
  7. cap — a hat
  8. squash — the sport
  9. cap — a lid
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. band — a music group
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. squash — to crush
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bulb — for light
  18. dip — to sink
  19. track — a song
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. cap — of ice
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bulb — for light
  24. track — to keep track

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