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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. swing — to play on
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — of the year
  6. staff — employees
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. chest — of your body
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. court — of a king
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. season — in sport
  17. staff — employees
  18. court — for sport
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bark — to shout
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. chest — of your body
  23. swing — music
  24. court — of law

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