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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: coach · racket · ground · arm · shower · leaves · fine · date

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. shower — rain
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fine — all right
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fine — high quality
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. ground — the earth
  16. date — the fruit
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — a position
  20. shower — to wash
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. racket — a loud noise

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