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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. can — a tin
  4. pit — in a race
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. board — a committee
  10. can — to be able to
  11. spell — letters
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. fall — the season
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. board — to get on
  18. spell — magic
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. swing — music
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pit — a hole
  24. can — a tin

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