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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. suit — in cards
  3. club — a group
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. present — the time now
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. row — a line
  9. saw — the tool
  10. suit — clothes
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. row — to paddle
  15. present — a gift
  16. club — for dancing
  17. suit — to fit
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. present — there
  20. club — for golf
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. saw — the tool

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