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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. deal — to handle
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. swing — to play on
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. capital — money
  9. fork — in a road
  10. cell — in biology
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. pitch — completely
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. swing — in golf
  17. cell — a phone
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. capital — a city
  21. perch — the fish
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. stand — to bear

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