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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: shower · object · pitch · swing · foot · bound · deal · bear

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bear — the animal
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — an aim
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. deal — to handle
  11. object — a thing
  12. pitch — completely
  13. shower — rain
  14. swing — music
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bound — certain
  17. foot — a measure
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bear — the animal
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — tied together
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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