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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. swing — in golf
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. dip — to sink
  7. march — music
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. march — the month
  10. fine — high quality
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. club — for golf
  13. pit — in a race
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. capital — money
  17. club — a group
  18. march — the month
  19. swing — music
  20. capital — a city
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. fine — all right
  23. pit — a hole
  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