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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. scale — size or range
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. march — music
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. scale — in music
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. present — there
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. present — a gift
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — music
  18. march — the month
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. present — the time now
  21. pitch — completely
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. march — the month
  24. swing — in golf

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