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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · rule · tear · jam · pit · wave

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rule — government
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. tear — to rip
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. tear — from crying
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. tear — from crying
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. rule — a law
  17. pit — in a race
  18. rule — to rule out

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