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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. swing — in golf
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pitch — completely
  6. last — finally
  7. ball — a great time
  8. hand — help
  9. stock — shares
  10. last — to go on
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. object — a thing
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. swing — music
  15. stock — goods
  16. last — final
  17. swing — to play on
  18. object — to protest
  19. bear — the animal
  20. ball — a dance
  21. object — an aim
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bear — the animal
  24. ball — a round shape

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