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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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. pitcher — a jug
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. root — the cause
  6. band — a ring
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. mate — a partner
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. board — to get on
  12. root — of a plant
  13. snap — to click
  14. bear — the animal
  15. root — of a word
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — music
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. band — a music group
  22. board — a committee
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bear — the animal

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