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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. game — a match
  3. bear — the animal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. last — to go on
  7. wound — an injury
  8. last — final
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. last — finally
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. game — wild animals
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wound — an injury

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