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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. suit — clothes
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. suit — to fit
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pitch — completely
  7. swing — music
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pass — a permit
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pop — soda
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. ball — a great time
  21. swing — to play on
  22. suit — in cards
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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