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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — music
  3. board — a committee
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. track — to keep track
  8. degree — from a university
  9. track — a song
  10. degree — an amount
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. track — a path
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. board — to get on
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. degree — temperature
  19. pitch — completely
  20. scale — in music
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. swing — to play on
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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