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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. craft — a skill
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. swing — in golf
  5. perch — the fish
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bear — the animal
  8. hand — help
  9. craft — boats
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. swing — music
  13. pitch — completely
  14. land — a country
  15. bear — the animal
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — to sink
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. hand — in cards
  24. swing — to play on

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