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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 124 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bound — obliged
  4. foot — a measure
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — completely
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. net — in sport
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. swing — music
  14. band — a ring
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bound — certain
  17. net — after costs
  18. band — a music group
  19. stock — shares
  20. net — for catching
  21. stock — goods
  22. swing — to play on
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. band — a rubber band

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