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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. fork — in a road
  4. ground — a position
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. swing — in golf
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. ground — the earth
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. staff — employees
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. hand — help
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. swing — to play on
  16. staff — employees
  17. hand — in cards
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. swing — music
  22. staff — a stick
  23. ground — crushed
  24. pass — a permit

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