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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mate — to breed
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. ball — a dance
  7. scale — in music
  8. swing — music
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. swing — to play on
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a skill
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. mate — a partner
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. scale — size or range
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. mate — a friend
  20. chair — a leader
  21. band — a ring
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ball — a great time

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