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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 116 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. swing — to play on
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pitch — completely
  7. chair — a leader
  8. drill — a practice
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. race — humankind
  13. fine — high quality
  14. drill — army training
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — a contest
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. fine — all right
  22. wind — moving air
  23. swing — music
  24. fine — a penalty

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