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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. swing — to play on
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. ground — crushed
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitch — completely
  10. swing — in golf
  11. ground — the earth
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ground — a position
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bear — the animal
  17. key — the most important part
  18. swing — music
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — in sport
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bear — the animal
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — in music

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