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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. present — the time now
  3. hand — help
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. present — there
  13. suit — in cards
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. band — a music group
  18. present — a gift
  19. hand — in cards
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. band — a ring
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. swing — in golf
  24. suit — to fit

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