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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 120 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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. field — farmland
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. field — for sport
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. ball — a dance
  9. swing — to play on
  10. firm — decided
  11. swing — music
  12. band — a music group
  13. firm — a company
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. field — a subject
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. ball — a great time
  19. kick — in football
  20. pit — in a race
  21. firm — steady
  22. band — a ring
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pitcher — a jug

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