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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. suit — clothes
  4. stem — to come from
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fork — in a road
  7. current — happening now
  8. fine — high quality
  9. land — a country
  10. current — of water
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. suit — in cards
  15. fine — all right
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. land — ground
  18. suit — to fit
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. land — to come down
  22. wake — a trail
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. current — electric

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