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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. capital — money
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. swing — to play on
  5. present — there
  6. present — the time now
  7. swing — music
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — a city
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. mug — to rob
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. saw — the tool
  19. swing — in golf
  20. sharp — clever
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mug — a face
  23. present — a gift
  24. mug — a cup

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