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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: swing · mouse · suit · coach · fine · game · bear · last

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. last — final
  4. fine — all right
  5. game — a match
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. swing — in golf
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. swing — to play on
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bear — the animal
  13. game — wild animals
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fine — high quality
  19. last — finally
  20. bear — the animal
  21. suit — in cards
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. last — to go 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