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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 120 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bat — the animal
  7. swing — music
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. pop — soda
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pop — music
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bat — in an idiom

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