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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. fine — all right
  4. capital — money
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. chair — a leader
  10. fine — high quality
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pound — a weight
  14. capital — a city
  15. pop — to visit
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pop — music
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. face — to point toward
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. pop — soda

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