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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. pit — a hole
  3. cap — of ice
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. track — a song
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. cap — a hat
  9. track — to keep track
  10. cap — a lid
  11. wound — an injury
  12. swing — in golf
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. swing — to play on
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. track — a path
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pitch — completely
  24. jam — a tight spot

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