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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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 — a weight
  4. swing — music
  5. cell — in biology
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. track — a path
  10. cue — a signal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. track — a song
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. track — to keep track
  17. cell — a phone
  18. branch — a division
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. swing — to play on
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cue — for pool

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