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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. march — the month
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. mug — a face
  6. court — of a king
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. court — for sport
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. court — of law
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bound — obliged
  15. ball — a great time
  16. march — music
  17. pitch — completely
  18. mug — to rob
  19. march — the month
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bound — certain
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bound — tied together
  24. coach — a trainer

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