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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: stick · present · bear · game · bulb · drill · pit · coach

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — a gift
  4. drill — a practice
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. pit — in a race
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. game — wild animals
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. present — there
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — the tool
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. game — a match
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bear — the animal
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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