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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. degree — an amount
  3. rash — a series
  4. degree — temperature
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pound — a weight
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rash — hasty
  11. swing — to play on
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — completely
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. swing — music
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. degree — from a university
  21. ball — a dance
  22. stem — to come from
  23. nail — on a finger
  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