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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. clip — for paper
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. swing — music
  5. cue — for pool
  6. charge — a price
  7. cue — a signal
  8. track — to keep track
  9. clip — a video
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. drill — the tool
  12. charge — in control
  13. drill — army training
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. track — a song
  16. clip — to cut
  17. track — a path
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. swing — in golf
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cue — a hint
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. drill — a practice
  24. charge — electricity

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