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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. fine — high quality
  4. swing — music
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — magic
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. spell — a short time
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. swing — in golf
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rule — government
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. fine — all right
  22. rule — a law
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bowl — a dish

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