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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 116 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. present — the time now
  6. season — of the year
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. deal — to handle
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. object — to protest
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. present — a gift
  15. object — a thing
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. object — an aim
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pitch — completely
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. present — there
  24. deal — a big deal

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