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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. last — finally
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. net — in sport
  7. last — final
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. court — of law
  11. last — to go on
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. net — after costs
  14. court — of a king
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rock — a stone
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. deal — to handle
  22. rock — music
  23. court — for sport
  24. net — for catching

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