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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. mate — to breed
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. stock — goods
  9. pass — a permit
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. swing — to play on
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. swing — in golf
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mate — a partner
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stock — shares
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. game — a match

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