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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. last — finally
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. spring — a coil
  8. swing — music
  9. last — to go on
  10. perch — the fish
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. swing — to play on
  13. spring — of water
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. spring — the season
  18. stand — to bear
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — music
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pop — to visit
  23. last — final
  24. stand — on your feet

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