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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 120 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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. swing — music
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. file — a line of people
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. file — a tool
  12. swing — in golf
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pitch — completely
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. file — a document
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mark — a trace
  20. fine — high quality
  21. swing — to play on
  22. fine — all right
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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