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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. scale — size or range
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. pop — to visit
  5. stand — to bear
  6. hand — help
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. craft — boats
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. hand — in cards
  12. fall — to drop
  13. scale — in music
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. fall — the season
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pop — soda
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. craft — a skill
  24. pop — music

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