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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. net — for catching
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. net — in sport
  8. swing — music
  9. board — to get on
  10. ground — crushed
  11. swing — to play on
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stock — shares
  14. dip — to sink
  15. stock — goods
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. ground — a position
  20. net — after costs
  21. wound — an injury
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. ground — the earth

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