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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: board · coach · mine · pitcher · firm · present · swing · object

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — music
  4. firm — decided
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mine — for digging
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — to protest
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. board — to get on
  12. firm — steady
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — there
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. present — a gift
  18. swing — to play on
  19. object — a thing
  20. firm — a company
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. pitcher — a jug

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