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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. swing — to play on
  5. ball — a dance
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ball — a great time
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. fine — all right
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. season — in sport
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. row — to paddle
  15. tube — the underground
  16. fine — high quality
  17. swing — music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. tube — a container
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. row — a line
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. season — of the year

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