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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. swing — to play on
  3. club — for golf
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. club — for dancing
  7. pitch — completely
  8. swing — music
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. band — a ring
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. band — a music group
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — music
  18. perch — the fish
  19. club — a group
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. ball — a dance

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