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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 120 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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for golf
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. fine — all right
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. club — for dancing
  10. swing — music
  11. spring — a coil
  12. tube — the underground
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — for betting
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. swing — to play on
  21. tube — a container
  22. swing — in golf
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fan — a supporter

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