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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 120 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. mark — a grade
  7. suit — to fit
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. suit — in cards
  11. wound — an injury
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. squash — to crush
  14. swing — music
  15. mark — a trace
  16. squash — the sport
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. suit — clothes
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. spell — letters
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. spell — magic
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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