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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. swing — music
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. swing — in golf
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. charge — a price
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. swing — to play on
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. charge — in control
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. wound — an injury
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. charge — electricity
  23. stand — to bear
  24. racket — a loud noise

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