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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. can — a tin
  3. sharp — clever
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. season — in sport
  6. object — to protest
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. track — a path
  10. can — a tin
  11. track — to keep track
  12. pitch — completely
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. can — to be able to
  15. season — of the year
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. swing — in golf
  19. track — a song
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — music
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — an aim

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