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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. rash — a series
  4. swing — music
  5. pitch — completely
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. swing — in golf
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. cap — a lid
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bear — the animal
  24. squash — to crush

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