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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bound — tied together
  4. chest — a box
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bound — obliged
  7. chest — of your body
  8. swing — music
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. ground — a position
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. club — for dancing
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. club — a group
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bound — certain
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. club — for golf
  22. ground — crushed
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — to play on

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