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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. swing — to play on
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. swing — in golf
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pit — in a race
  8. club — a group
  9. fall — the season
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. roll — a cake
  17. toast — bread
  18. swing — music
  19. roll — a list
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a skill
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — for dancing

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