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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — music
  3. pit — in a race
  4. last — finally
  5. object — an aim
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. roll — a list
  8. scale — size or range
  9. pitch — completely
  10. roll — a cake
  11. swing — in golf
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. game — wild animals
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. pit — a hole
  16. object — a thing
  17. scale — in music
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. last — final
  20. last — to go on
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. game — a match
  23. object — to protest
  24. scale — for weighing

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