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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. object — an aim
  3. deal — to handle
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — music
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. staff — employees
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. mark — a grade
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. object — a thing
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. object — to protest
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rest — what's left
  19. staff — employees
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. rest — a break
  22. staff — a stick
  23. pitch — completely
  24. deal — an agreement

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