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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — a face
  3. can — a tin
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. can — to be able to
  6. swing — in golf
  7. court — of law
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. swing — music
  10. land — to come down
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. swing — to play on
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. land — ground
  15. track — to keep track
  16. land — a country
  17. track — a song
  18. track — a path
  19. mug — to rob
  20. can — a tin
  21. court — of a king
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. court — for sport

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