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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: track · bass · swing · land · ruler · coach · fork · hide

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. land — ground
  6. track — to keep track
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. land — to come down
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. swing — music
  12. land — a country
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bass — low music
  15. fork — in a road
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. track — a song
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. track — a path

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