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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pop — soda
  3. capital — money
  4. saw — the tool
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pop — music
  7. capital — a city
  8. swing — music
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pop — to visit
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bear — the animal
  13. spring — a coil
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. key — for a lock
  21. spring — of water
  22. bear — the animal
  23. spring — the season
  24. saw — the tool

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