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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.

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: coach · swing · rule · wake · bark · pit · game · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. swing — in golf
  3. rule — a law
  4. game — a match
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. rule — government
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. wake — a trail
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. pit — a hole
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. current — of water
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. current — electric
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — to shout
  24. game — wild animals

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