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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 116 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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. cue — for pool
  3. file — a tool
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. net — for catching
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. cue — a signal
  10. track — a song
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. file — a document
  13. game — a match
  14. chair — a leader
  15. cue — a hint
  16. swing — music
  17. track — a path
  18. swing — to play on
  19. track — to keep track
  20. file — a line of people
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — on your feet

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