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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. tube — the underground
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. court — of a king
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. court — of law
  9. date — the fruit
  10. court — for sport
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. tube — a container
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. jam — in traffic

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