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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. current — of water
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. staff — employees
  5. court — for sport
  6. march — the month
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pass — a permit
  9. swing — in golf
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. current — happening now
  15. march — the month
  16. swing — music
  17. staff — a stick
  18. current — electric
  19. court — of law
  20. bulb — for light
  21. march — music
  22. court — of a king
  23. bulb — for light
  24. staff — employees

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