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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. court — of law
  5. pitch — completely
  6. date — the fruit
  7. pass — a permit
  8. net — for catching
  9. court — of a king
  10. net — in sport
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. net — after costs
  16. suit — clothes
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bark — to shout
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. court — for sport
  24. coach — a trainer

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