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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. spell — magic
  5. pitch — completely
  6. ground — the earth
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. swing — music
  9. season — in sport
  10. ground — crushed
  11. season — of the year
  12. swing — to play on
  13. spell — letters
  14. game — wild animals
  15. spell — a short time
  16. ground — a position
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. game — a match
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. pitch — a sports field

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