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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. wind — moving air
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. swing — music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. present — the time now
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bulb — for light
  12. swing — in golf
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. shower — rain
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. present — there
  19. present — a gift
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. racket — for tennis

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