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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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Word bank
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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 · pass · tear · game · dip · spring · can · present

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. spring — of water
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. can — to be able to
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — the season
  13. can — a tin
  14. dip — to sink
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. present — the time now
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. present — a gift
  21. pass — a permit
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. present — there
  24. pass — to spend time

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