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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. swing — to play on
  3. spring — a coil
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — all right
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pitch — completely
  8. spring — the season
  9. bass — the fish
  10. swing — in golf
  11. face — to confront
  12. fine — high quality
  13. face — to point toward
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. can — to be able to
  24. swing — music

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