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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. march — the month
  3. swing — in golf
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. charge — in control
  9. march — the month
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. bound — certain
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bat — the animal
  17. swing — to play on
  18. charge — electricity
  19. wound — an injury
  20. charge — a price
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pitch — completely
  23. march — music
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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