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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. sharp — clever
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. club — for dancing
  6. can — a tin
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. club — for golf
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. rock — music
  11. club — a group
  12. rock — a stone
  13. present — there
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. can — a tin
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. can — to be able to
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. present — a gift
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. present — the time now
  24. rash — a series

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