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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. spring — of water
  4. rest — what's left
  5. swing — music
  6. march — the month
  7. swing — to play on
  8. last — finally
  9. march — the month
  10. last — final
  11. march — music
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cue — a signal
  15. last — to go on
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. rest — what's left
  18. spring — a coil
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cue — a hint
  21. rest — a break
  22. dip — to sink
  23. spring — the season
  24. dip — to dunk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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