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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. drill — a practice
  3. court — of a king
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. chip — to eat
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. drill — army training
  11. pit — a hole
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pit — in a race
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. court — for sport
  16. degree — an amount
  17. court — of law
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. drill — the tool
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. degree — from a university
  24. prune — to trim

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