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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: bay · chest · tear · coach · suit · pop · current · bowl

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. pop — soda
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. current — happening now
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. chest — a box
  14. current — electric
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pop — music
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. current — of water
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. chest — of your body

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