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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mine — for digging
  7. ball — a great time
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. stand — to bear
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. chip — to eat
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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