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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. band — a music group
  3. object — an aim
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. object — to protest
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. sharp — clever
  13. mate — a friend
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. object — a thing
  19. deal — to handle
  20. mate — to breed
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. band — a ring
  24. mate — a partner

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