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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. swing — to play on
  3. track — a song
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. pitch — completely
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. swing — music
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. rush — hurry
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. track — to keep track
  15. court — for sport
  16. mine — for digging
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — of law
  21. track — a path
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. rush — to hurry

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