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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. wind — moving air
  3. swing — music
  4. spring — a coil
  5. scale — in music
  6. mark — a trace
  7. roll — a list
  8. roll — a cake
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. wind — moving air
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. spring — the season
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. mark — a grade
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. scale — size or range
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. pound — a weight
  23. spring — of water
  24. pound — to hit hard

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