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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mark — a grade
  3. spell — magic
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. swing — to play on
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. mark — a trace
  11. spell — a short time
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. clip — to cut
  15. spell — letters
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rock — music
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. swing — music
  20. clip — for paper
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. clip — a video
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rush — hurry

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