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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. swing — music
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. root — of a plant
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. root — the cause
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pitch — completely
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. perch — the fish
  20. stand — to bear
  21. root — of a word
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mouse — the animal

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