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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — completely
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. game — a match
  7. ball — a dance
  8. spell — a short time
  9. ball — a great time
  10. plane — a tool
  11. rule — a law
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. spell — letters
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rule — government
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. spell — magic
  21. rock — music
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. rule — to rule out

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