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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: pop · tear · coach · foot · swing · content · race · present

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. tear — to rip
  2. present — the time now
  3. foot — a measure
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. race — a contest
  7. pop — music
  8. tear — from crying
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. pop — soda
  11. tear — from crying
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. race — the arms race
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pop — to visit
  17. swing — in golf
  18. race — humankind
  19. swing — music
  20. present — a gift
  21. content — happy
  22. swing — to play on
  23. present — there
  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