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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. game — wild animals
  3. march — music
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. game — a match
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. face — part of the head
  11. mark — a grade
  12. rock — music
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. march — the month
  15. face — to point toward
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. dip — to sink
  19. mark — a trace
  20. face — to confront
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. march — the month
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rock — a stone

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