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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. game — wild animals
  3. swing — to play on
  4. field — farmland
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. mug — to rob
  7. squash — to crush
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. mug — a cup
  10. squash — the sport
  11. mug — a face
  12. firm — decided
  13. bear — the animal
  14. field — a subject
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. firm — steady
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bear — the animal
  20. swing — music
  21. firm — a company
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — a match
  24. field — for sport

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