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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. net — for catching
  4. swing — in golf
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. swing — to play on
  7. perch — the fish
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. saw — the tool
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. saw — the tool
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. net — after costs
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. deal — to handle
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. swing — music
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. deal — an agreement

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