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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: deal · prune · foot · current · race · bowl · coach · leaves

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. current — electric
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — a measure
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — the arms race
  13. prune — to trim
  14. current — of water
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. current — happening now
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. deal — to handle
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. race — a contest

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