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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. band — a ring
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cap — a hat
  7. firm — a company
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. game — wild animals
  10. stem — to come from
  11. firm — steady
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. game — a match
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. swing — in golf
  20. band — a music group
  21. swing — to play on
  22. firm — decided
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. sharp — clever

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