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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. swing — music
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stock — shares
  6. court — for sport
  7. pitch — completely
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. court — of a king
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — a series
  13. can — a tin
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. stock — goods
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. court — of law
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. swing — to play on
  22. can — to be able to
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. swing — in golf

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