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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. content — happy
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. chip — to eat
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. content — the amount
  13. current — of water
  14. swing — music
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. suit — in cards
  17. wake — a trail
  18. swing — in golf
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. chip — for betting
  22. suit — clothes
  23. swing — to play on
  24. coach — a trainer

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