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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. swing — in golf
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. degree — an amount
  7. object — a thing
  8. present — the time now
  9. swing — to play on
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bear — the animal
  12. present — there
  13. swing — music
  14. present — a gift
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. degree — temperature
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. object — to protest
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bear — the animal
  22. game — a match
  23. degree — from a university
  24. object — an aim

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