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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — a group
  6. rash — hasty
  7. ball — a dance
  8. rash — a series
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. prune — to trim
  11. swing — music
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. swing — in golf
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rule — a law
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. club — for dancing
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. ball — a great time
  23. rule — government
  24. swing — to play on

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