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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. present — the time now
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pit — in a race
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — letters
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. present — there
  13. game — wild animals
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pit — a hole
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. game — a match
  18. present — a gift
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — a law
  22. spell — magic
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rule — to rule out

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