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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. swing — music
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — the most important part
  10. swing — in golf
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. key — in music
  13. pitch — completely
  14. saw — the tool
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. scale — in music
  18. saw — the tool
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. swing — to play on
  22. scale — size or range
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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