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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cap — a hat
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. present — there
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cap — of ice
  13. swing — music
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. pit — a hole
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. pit — in a race
  18. present — a gift
  19. cap — a lid
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. present — the time now
  22. swing — to play on
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. cabinet — ministers

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