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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 King held a masked ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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. ball — a dance
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. pop — soda
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. ball — a great time
  8. swing — to play on
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. swing — music
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. snap — to click
  20. chair — a leader
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pop — music
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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