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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. squash — the sport
  3. firm — a company
  4. bound — obliged
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bore — to tire
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. firm — decided
  10. court — of a king
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bound — tied together
  14. court — for sport
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bore — to drill
  17. firm — steady
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bound — certain
  22. stem — to come from
  23. court — of law
  24. trunk — of a tree

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