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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  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. swing — music
  2. pitch — completely
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. swing — to play on
  5. mug — to rob
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. club — for golf
  8. row — to paddle
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. stock — shares
  11. mug — a cup
  12. club — for dancing
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. mug — a face
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. stock — goods
  21. club — a group
  22. row — a line
  23. row — a quarrel
  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