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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. firm — a company
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — to play on
  5. rush — hurry
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. snap — to click
  8. fork — in a road
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bound — obliged
  13. firm — steady
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — tied together
  19. swing — music
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. firm — decided
  24. coach — a trainer

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