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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. land — ground
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. swing — to play on
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. land — a country
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. suit — clothes
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. board — to get on
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. swing — music
  14. mate — to breed
  15. land — to come down
  16. mate — a friend
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. suit — to fit
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. board — a committee
  22. suit — in cards
  23. swing — in golf
  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