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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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. pit — in a race
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. band — a ring
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. firm — decided
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. band — a music group
  11. firm — a company
  12. swing — to play on
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. firm — steady
  16. cold — not warm
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. swing — music
  20. pit — a hole
  21. cold — an illness
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. perch — the fish

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