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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. ground — crushed
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. club — a group
  8. swing — in golf
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. ground — the earth
  11. swing — to play on
  12. club — for golf
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. club — for dancing
  19. ground — a position
  20. toast — bread
  21. swing — music
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. pitch — completely

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