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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 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. track — a song
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. field — a subject
  7. tube — a container
  8. swing — music
  9. club — for golf
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — in a race
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. field — for sport
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — to play on
  19. club — for dancing
  20. track — a path
  21. field — farmland
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. club — a group
  24. tube — the underground

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