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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. swing — to play on
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — a video
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. swing — in golf
  14. ball — a great time
  15. swing — music
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. deal — to handle
  19. clip — to cut
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. ball — a dance
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. mouse — the animal

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