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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. swing — music
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. swing — in golf
  10. current — of water
  11. current — electric
  12. race — humankind
  13. court — for sport
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. court — of a king
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. race — a contest
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. current — happening now
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. track — a song
  22. swing — to play on
  23. race — the arms race
  24. arm — part of the body

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