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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. swing — to play on
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. net — for catching
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. track — a song
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. club — a group
  13. swing — music
  14. track — a path
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. swing — in golf
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. track — to keep track
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — for golf
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pitch — a sports field

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