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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 116 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. swing — in golf
  4. firm — a company
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mark — a grade
  11. swing — music
  12. drill — the tool
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. net — in sport
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — decided
  17. mark — a trace
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. swing — to play on
  20. net — after costs
  21. drill — army training
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. drill — a practice
  24. cabinet — ministers

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