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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pitch — completely
  5. swing — to play on
  6. object — a thing
  7. suit — clothes
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. swing — music
  12. object — an aim
  13. suit — in cards
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. object — to protest
  16. swing — in golf
  17. cold — not warm
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. cold — an illness
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. suit — to fit
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. cold — the Cold War

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