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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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. swing — to play on
  2. bound — certain
  3. drill — the tool
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. swing — music
  6. band — a ring
  7. craft — a skill
  8. drill — army training
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bound — tied together
  13. drill — a practice
  14. swing — in golf
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. pitch — completely
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bound — obliged
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. craft — boats
  23. band — a music group
  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