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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. ground — the earth
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. capital — money
  6. swing — to play on
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. ground — crushed
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — all right
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. swing — in golf
  18. ground — a position
  19. fine — high quality
  20. swing — music
  21. track — a path
  22. pitch — completely
  23. capital — a city
  24. track — a song

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