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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. pit — in a race
  3. capital — money
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. swing — music
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. court — of law
  8. band — a music group
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pit — a hole
  13. cold — not warm
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. court — of a king
  16. snap — to click
  17. band — a ring
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — a city
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. cold — an illness
  23. court — for sport
  24. swing — to play on

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