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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  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. drill — the tool
  2. field — a subject
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pit — in a race
  5. swing — in golf
  6. charge — in control
  7. field — for sport
  8. ball — a great time
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. drill — army training
  11. swing — to play on
  12. charge — a price
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bound — obliged
  15. ball — a dance
  16. drill — a practice
  17. field — farmland
  18. bound — certain
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bound — tied together
  21. charge — electricity
  22. pit — a hole
  23. swing — music
  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