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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bat — the animal
  6. club — a group
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bear — the animal
  9. swing — music
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. swing — in golf
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. club — for golf
  15. bass — low music
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bass — the fish

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