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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 116 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — music
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pitch — completely
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. game — a match
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — obliged
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bound — certain
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. kick — in football
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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