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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — music
  3. race — a contest
  4. pitch — completely
  5. swing — in golf
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. race — humankind
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — a company
  12. pop — soda
  13. current — happening now
  14. race — the arms race
  15. firm — decided
  16. swing — music
  17. game — a match
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. current — of water
  21. current — electric
  22. game — wild animals
  23. dip — to sink
  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