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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. swing — in golf
  7. track — a path
  8. bore — to tire
  9. swing — music
  10. track — a song
  11. bass — the fish
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. swing — to play on
  14. track — to keep track
  15. prune — to trim
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bore — to drill
  19. current — of water
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. current — electric
  23. bass — low music
  24. current — happening now

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