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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. present — there
  4. shower — rain
  5. present — a gift
  6. bound — tied together
  7. staff — a stick
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. swing — in golf
  10. staff — employees
  11. present — the time now
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bound — obliged
  15. staff — employees
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. swing — music
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bound — certain
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the fish

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