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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bound — tied together
  7. dip — to sink
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. pop — to visit
  13. fine — all right
  14. band — a music group
  15. bound — obliged
  16. mark — a grade
  17. pop — soda
  18. bound — certain
  19. band — a ring
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. pop — music
  24. fine — high quality

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