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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rule — government
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. swing — music
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. swing — to play on
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. swing — in golf
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. coach — a trainer

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