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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. track — a song
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. clip — to cut
  8. track — a path
  9. bound — obliged
  10. clip — for paper
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. present — a gift
  13. cue — a hint
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. present — the time now
  16. clip — a video
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — tied together
  19. present — there
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — boats
  23. track — to keep track
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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