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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. squash — the sport
  4. band — a ring
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. suit — to fit
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. suit — clothes
  9. wind — moving air
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. squash — to crush
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. suit — in cards
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. band — a music group
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bark — to shout

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