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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — music
  3. drill — the tool
  4. court — of law
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. season — in sport
  8. drill — a practice
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. season — of the year
  12. ball — a dance
  13. drill — army training
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bat — the animal
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. swing — to play on
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. prune — to trim
  24. ball — a great time

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