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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pop — soda
  4. spring — a coil
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. swing — in golf
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. swing — to play on
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bat — the animal
  13. spring — the season
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. spring — of water
  17. pop — to visit
  18. swing — music
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bat — for baseball

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