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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chair — a leader
  3. deal — to handle
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. branch — a division
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. rash — hasty
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rash — a series
  17. pit — a hole
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. pit — in a race

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