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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. swing — to play on
  4. ground — a position
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. swing — music
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. ground — crushed
  11. suit — in cards
  12. ground — the earth
  13. suit — to fit
  14. season — in sport
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bass — the fish
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pitch — completely
  20. suit — clothes
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bass — low music

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