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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 116 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fine — all right
  5. wax — to grow
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. can — a tin
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pitch — completely
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. swing — music
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. swing — in golf
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — humankind
  22. swing — to play on
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. hide — to keep secret

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