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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bear — the animal
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. swing — music
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pitch — completely
  10. tube — a container
  11. bear — the animal
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. swing — to play on

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