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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: fine · swing · pitch · field · bulb · tear · chip · mouse

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. field — for sport
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. chip — to eat
  7. field — a subject
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. tear — from crying
  14. swing — music
  15. field — farmland
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. tear — to rip
  23. bulb — for light
  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