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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. content — the amount
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. charge — a price
  6. craft — boats
  7. swing — music
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. last — finally
  10. last — to go on
  11. content — happy
  12. last — final
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — in sport
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. charge — electricity
  18. net — after costs
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. swing — to play on
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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