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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  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. track — a song
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. mug — a face
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. spell — letters
  6. track — a path
  7. mug — to rob
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mug — a cup
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. spell — a short time
  15. hand — in cards
  16. track — to keep track
  17. spell — magic
  18. stand — to bear
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. swing — to play on
  21. sharp — clever
  22. hand — help
  23. swing — in golf
  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