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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. swing — music
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. stand — to bear
  5. snap — to click
  6. degree — an amount
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. degree — from a university
  9. club — a group
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. swing — in golf
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — for golf
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. degree — temperature
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. net — for catching
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. swing — to play on
  24. leaves — to go away

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