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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. staff — employees
  3. perch — the fish
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pop — soda
  7. swing — music
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pop — to visit
  10. tear — from crying
  11. face — to point toward
  12. tear — to rip
  13. pop — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. scale — size or range
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. tear — from crying
  19. scale — in music
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. face — to confront
  22. pitch — completely
  23. face — part of the head
  24. perch — for a bird

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