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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. current — happening now
  4. swing — in golf
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. tube — a container
  7. current — electric
  8. bat — the animal
  9. swing — to play on
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. tube — the underground
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. land — ground
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. land — to come down
  21. current — of water
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. land — a country
  24. tube — in a tire

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