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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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Word bank
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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: fine · last · swing · charge · key · land · arm · coach

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. last — to go on
  3. charge — in control
  4. land — ground
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. land — a country
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — high quality
  9. key — for a lock
  10. land — to come down
  11. key — the most important part
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. charge — electricity
  14. last — final
  15. last — finally
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. key — in music
  22. charge — a price
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. swing — in golf

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