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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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Word bank
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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: mine · dip · mark · object · race · bat · pitch · swing

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. race — a contest
  3. bat — the animal
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. race — the arms race
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. swing — music
  9. race — humankind
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. object — an aim
  19. pitch — completely
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — for digging
  22. object — a thing
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. object — to protest

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