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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mug — a face
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. swing — music
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. tear — from crying
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mug — to rob
  13. present — there
  14. tear — from crying
  15. present — a gift
  16. suit — in cards
  17. fork — in a road
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. mug — a cup
  20. present — the time now
  21. kick — in football
  22. suit — to fit
  23. tear — to rip
  24. suit — clothes

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