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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. object — a thing
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — to shout
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. pit — a hole
  8. content — happy
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. pit — in a race
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. content — the amount
  18. cap — a hat
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. cap — a lid
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — to protest

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