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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. current — electric
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. club — for golf
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. current — of water
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. club — for dancing
  15. current — happening now
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — the animal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. club — a group
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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