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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bark — to shout
  5. club — for golf
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. club — a group
  8. shower — rain
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. shower — to wash
  12. swing — in golf
  13. ball — a great time
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. cue — for pool
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. toast — bread
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. swing — music
  23. toast — the most admired
  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