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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 120 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: rule · coach · racket · pound · game · capital · swing · object

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. game — a match
  5. rule — government
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. object — to protest
  9. swing — to play on
  10. object — a thing
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — music
  16. object — an aim
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — money
  19. rule — a law
  20. game — wild animals
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pound — a weight
  23. capital — a city
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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