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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. squash — the sport
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. season — in sport
  5. squash — to crush
  6. swing — to play on
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. season — of the year
  10. rush — hurry
  11. chest — of your body
  12. swing — in golf
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. suit — clothes
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. suit — in cards
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pitch — completely
  20. suit — to fit
  21. chest — a box
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. swing — music
  24. chest — of your body

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