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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lie — to recline
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. swing — in golf
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. kid — to tease
  9. pitch — completely
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. swing — to play on
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — happy
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. kid — child
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mouse — for a computer

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