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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. kid — to tease
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. kid — child
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. stand — to bear
  20. swing — to play on
  21. wound — an injury
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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