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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. swing — in golf
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. pound — a weight
  6. can — a tin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. can — a tin
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bat — the animal
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. degree — an amount
  18. can — to be able to
  19. degree — temperature
  20. shower — rain
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. swing — to play on
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. swing — music

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