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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 124 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. face — to confront
  3. swing — in golf
  4. face — to point toward
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — a partner
  7. stand — to bear
  8. squash — to crush
  9. capital — a city
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. face — part of the head
  13. squash — the sport
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. mate — to breed
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. wake — a trail
  19. capital — money
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. pitch — completely

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