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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. present — there
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fork — in a road
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. degree — from a university
  7. present — a gift
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. season — in sport
  11. object — a thing
  12. degree — temperature
  13. present — the time now
  14. ball — a great time
  15. object — to protest
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. ball — a dance
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. season — of the year
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. object — an aim
  24. degree — an amount

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