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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. hand — in cards
  3. march — the month
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. charge — a price
  6. swing — in golf
  7. march — music
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. hand — help
  10. suit — to fit
  11. ball — a great time
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — a weight
  14. ball — a dance
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. march — the month
  17. charge — in control
  18. suit — clothes
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. charge — electricity
  21. pitch — completely
  22. suit — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. swing — music

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