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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. swing — in golf
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — from a university
  7. foot — a measure
  8. saw — the tool
  9. court — of a king
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. saw — the tool
  12. charge — electricity
  13. swing — music
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. swing — to play on
  16. charge — in control
  17. degree — an amount
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. charge — a price
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. court — of law
  22. tube — the underground
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. court — for sport

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