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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pop — to visit
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. toast — bread
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. present — a gift
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pop — soda
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. present — there
  21. present — the time now
  22. fall — the season
  23. pop — music
  24. jam — in traffic

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