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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. swing — to play on
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. pitch — completely
  5. swing — music
  6. band — a ring
  7. row — to paddle
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. stand — to bear
  10. track — a path
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. track — to keep track
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. swing — in golf
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. chip — to eat
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. track — a song
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. band — a music group

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