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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pop — music
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. tube — the underground
  7. net — in sport
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. tube — a container
  12. current — happening now
  13. net — after costs
  14. object — a thing
  15. pop — to visit
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. net — for catching
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pop — soda
  21. current — of water
  22. cell — a phone
  23. current — electric
  24. cell — in biology

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