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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. season — of the year
  3. capital — money
  4. swing — music
  5. mate — to breed
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mate — a partner
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. season — in sport
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. capital — a city
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mate — a friend
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bulb — for light
  23. swing — to play on
  24. saw — the tool

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