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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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468
Word bank
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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. foot — a measure
  4. kid — to tease
  5. pitch — completely
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. degree — temperature
  10. chip — to eat
  11. kid — child
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. swing — in golf
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. swing — to play on
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bear — the animal

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