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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bound — obliged
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ground — a position
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ground — crushed
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. fork — in a road
  12. mate — a friend
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bound — certain
  15. swing — music
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mate — a partner
  23. swing — to play on
  24. mouse — for 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