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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: race · present · coach · stick · current · swing · cue · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. swing — music
  5. present — there
  6. race — humankind
  7. cue — a hint
  8. current — happening now
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. present — a gift
  11. cue — for pool
  12. race — the arms race
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. current — electric
  15. current — of water
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cue — a signal
  18. swing — in golf
  19. present — the time now
  20. fine — all right
  21. race — a contest
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. swing — to play on
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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