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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: track · swing · racket · ball · straw · coach · bass · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. rash — hasty
  5. swing — to play on
  6. ball — a great time
  7. swing — music
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. track — a song
  11. bass — low music
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. swing — in golf
  14. track — to keep track
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. track — a path
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bass — the fish
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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