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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bank — for money
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. hand — help
  7. charge — electricity
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. swing — music
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. hand — in cards
  12. charge — in control
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. charge — a price
  16. capital — money
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. swing — to play on
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bank — of a river
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bank — for money
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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