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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.

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: racket · current · bulb · fine · coach · chest · march · straw

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. march — the month
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bulb — for light
  10. current — electric
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. fine — all right
  14. bulb — for light
  15. chest — a box
  16. march — music
  17. current — happening now
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. current — of water
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. chest — of your body
  22. fine — high quality
  23. march — the month
  24. chest — of your body

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