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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. kick — in football
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bank — of a river
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. rash — a series
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bank — for money
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. tube — the underground
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bank — for money
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rash — hasty
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mate — a friend
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mate — a partner

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