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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. stand — to bear
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. race — the arms race
  5. mate — a friend
  6. swing — to play on
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. perch — the fish
  14. rush — hurry
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. swing — music
  17. mate — a partner
  18. rule — a law
  19. race — humankind
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. race — a contest
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rule — government
  24. pitch — completely

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