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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. march — music
  4. swing — music
  5. net — in sport
  6. swing — in golf
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. club — for dancing
  12. march — the month
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. net — after costs
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. club — for golf
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. march — the month
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. club — a group
  24. swing — to play on

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