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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. swing — in golf
  3. mug — to rob
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — a safe
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pound — a weight
  8. rock — music
  9. swing — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. mug — a cup
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — of the year
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. rock — a stone
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. swing — to play on
  21. pitch — completely
  22. mug — a face
  23. cold — not warm
  24. cold — an illness

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