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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — music
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — in sport
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. court — of law
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pitch — completely
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. court — for sport
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. swing — to play on
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in biology
  21. deal — to handle
  22. season — of the year
  23. shower — to wash
  24. court — of a king

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