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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. key — for a lock
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. clip — a video
  7. chest — of your body
  8. key — in music
  9. ball — a great time
  10. chest — a box
  11. swing — music
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. clip — for paper
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. key — the most important part
  19. ball — a dance
  20. clip — to cut
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. swing — to play on

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