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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. swing — in golf
  3. wake — a trail
  4. swing — to play on
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. spell — letters
  9. swing — music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — completely
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. spell — a short time
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bound — certain
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bound — obliged
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bound — tied together
  24. spell — magic

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