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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 120 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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. season — of the year
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. spell — a short time
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. season — in sport
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pop — music
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pop — to visit
  15. spell — letters
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pop — soda
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. spell — magic
  24. racket — for tennis

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