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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: land · suit · pop · sharp · rock · swing · coach · temple

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — to come down
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. rock — a stone
  5. sharp — clever
  6. swing — to play on
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pop — soda
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. land — a country
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. swing — music
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rock — music
  17. pop — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. suit — to fit
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — clothes
  24. coach — a trainer

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