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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. fine — all right
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. spring — of water
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. swing — to play on
  9. ground — the earth
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. spring — the season
  14. fork — in a road
  15. spring — a coil
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. ground — a position
  18. swing — music

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