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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. swing — in golf
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. suit — clothes
  5. spell — magic
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. suit — in cards
  9. chip — to eat
  10. spell — a short time
  11. prune — to trim
  12. spell — letters
  13. swing — to play on
  14. chip — for betting
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — part of the head
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. swing — music
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. face — to point toward
  22. suit — to fit
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. chip — in a computer

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