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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wound — an injury
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cue — a hint
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rush — hurry
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pit — in a race
  15. drill — a practice
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. swing — in golf
  18. pit — a hole
  19. swing — music
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — the tool
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. swing — to play on
  24. wound — an injury

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