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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. swing — in golf
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bass — low music
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a skill
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. mug — to rob
  16. swing — music
  17. snap — to click
  18. swing — to play on
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. mug — a face
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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