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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pitch — completely
  8. craft — boats
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. season — in sport
  19. deal — to handle
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — in golf
  22. hand — help
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. pitch — a sports field

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