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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. swing — music
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — a video
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — to push
  21. clip — for paper
  22. net — for catching
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. racket — a loud noise

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