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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. season — of the year
  8. content — happy
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. content — the amount
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. branch — a division
  24. content — videos and posts

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