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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. cap — of ice
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. scale — in music
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. cap — a hat
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. foot — a measure
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pitch — completely
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cap — a lid
  21. scale — size or range
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. swing — to play on

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