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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. net — after costs
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bound — tied together
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. pitch — completely
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bore — to drill
  13. net — in sport
  14. bound — obliged
  15. prune — to trim
  16. net — for catching
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bound — certain
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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