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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mine — for digging
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bark — to shout
  6. swing — in golf
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. swing — to play on
  13. present — a gift
  14. bank — for money
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — there
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bank — for money
  23. swing — music
  24. bark — of a tree

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