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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bound — certain
  4. land — a country
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. swing — music
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. land — to come down
  10. swing — in golf
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bound — tied together
  15. mug — a face
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mug — a cup
  18. land — ground
  19. content — the amount
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. content — happy
  23. swing — to play on
  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