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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 116 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. ball — a dance
  3. net — in sport
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. net — for catching
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fine — all right
  9. pit — a hole
  10. content — happy
  11. net — after costs
  12. pit — in a race
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. band — a ring
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. band — a music group
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. content — the amount
  23. staff — employees
  24. fine — high quality

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