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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  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. swing — in golf
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. pop — to visit
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. swing — to play on
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. content — the amount
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. content — happy
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. swing — music
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. chair — a leader
  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