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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  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. cue — for pool
  2. swing — in golf
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lean — to bend
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fine — all right
  8. cue — a hint
  9. net — after costs
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. fine — high quality
  12. net — for catching
  13. track — a song
  14. swing — to play on
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — thin
  17. track — a path
  18. cue — a signal
  19. stem — to come from
  20. net — in sport
  21. track — to keep track
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. swing — music
  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