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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 116 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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. present — there
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. swing — to play on
  7. mark — a trace
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chair — a leader
  10. mark — a grade
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bank — of a river
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. swing — music

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