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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. swing — music
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. spell — a short time
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. spell — magic
  11. cue — a hint
  12. swing — in golf
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. pitch — completely
  15. cue — a signal
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. swing — to play on
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. spell — letters
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. branch — a division

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