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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: bat · coach · spell · last · arm · mate · mark · pop

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pop — music
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bat — the animal
  7. spell — letters
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mate — a partner
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pop — soda
  14. spell — a short time
  15. last — to go on
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mate — to breed
  19. spell — magic
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. pop — to visit
  22. last — finally
  23. last — final
  24. coach — a trainer

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