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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. swing — music
  6. net — in sport
  7. face — to confront
  8. squash — to crush
  9. net — for catching
  10. cap — of ice
  11. face — to point toward
  12. craft — boats
  13. fine — high quality
  14. face — part of the head
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. fine — all right
  17. net — after costs
  18. craft — a skill
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — a lid
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. squash — the sport
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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