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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. cold — an illness
  3. swing — music
  4. fine — high quality
  5. march — the month
  6. net — in sport
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. march — music
  9. cold — not warm
  10. march — the month
  11. net — for catching
  12. firm — a company
  13. fine — all right
  14. net — after costs
  15. firm — steady
  16. swing — to play on
  17. firm — decided
  18. cold — the Cold War

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