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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. suit — in cards
  6. field — for sport
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. firm — a company
  9. suit — to fit
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bank — of a river
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bank — for money
  14. firm — steady
  15. field — a subject
  16. swing — music
  17. suit — clothes
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cold — not warm
  20. bank — for money
  21. field — farmland
  22. firm — decided
  23. swing — in golf
  24. cold — an illness

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