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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 120 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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. saw — the tool
  3. capital — money
  4. pit — a hole
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. band — a ring
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. staff — a stick
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. band — a music group
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. pitch — completely
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. capital — a city
  24. pitch — a sports field

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