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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. can — to be able to
  3. swing — to play on
  4. current — happening now
  5. lie — to recline
  6. club — for dancing
  7. present — the time now
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. current — electric
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. swing — in golf
  12. present — a gift
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. swing — music
  16. can — a tin
  17. club — for golf
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. can — a tin
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. current — of water
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. club — a group
  24. present — there

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