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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. pitch — completely
  3. swing — music
  4. mine — for digging
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. swing — to play on
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. court — of law
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. court — of a king
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. fine — all right
  22. court — for sport
  23. wax — to grow
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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