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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. staff — employees
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. swing — to play on
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bulb — for light
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. swing — music
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wind — moving air
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. staff — employees

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