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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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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: object · pit · ball · coach · kick · mark · shower · hand

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mark — a grade
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. shower — rain
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. kick — in football
  11. ball — a great time
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. hand — in cards
  14. object — an aim
  15. pit — in a race
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pit — a hole
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. hand — help
  21. object — a thing
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. object — to protest
  24. mark — a trace

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