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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rush — hurry
  4. swing — in golf
  5. key — in music
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. land — ground
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. key — for a lock
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wax — to grow
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. land — a country
  21. key — the most important part
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. land — to come down
  24. wax — in the ear

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