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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: swing · chest · fork · club · coach · hide

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — music
  3. fork — in a road
  4. chest — a box
  5. swing — in golf
  6. club — a group
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. chest — of your body
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — for golf
  16. chest — of your body
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin

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