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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bark — to shout
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pitch — completely
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. swing — music
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. swing — to play on
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — the animal

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