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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. pitch — completely
  4. spring — of water
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. swing — music
  9. season — in sport
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. wax — to grow
  17. plane — a tool
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. spring — a coil
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. spring — the season
  23. season — of the year
  24. wax — for sculpting

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