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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — in a race
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. stand — to bear
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mate — a partner
  23. game — a match
  24. stand — for spectators

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