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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. stand — to bear
  6. mine — for digging
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. swing — in golf
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. degree — an amount
  13. swing — to play on
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. degree — temperature
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. degree — from a university
  20. snap — to click
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. swing — music

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