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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. squash — the sport
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bass — the fish
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. game — a match
  7. lie — to recline
  8. swing — to play on
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. last — final
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. mug — a cup
  17. swing — music
  18. squash — to crush
  19. mug — a face
  20. bass — low music
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. last — to go on
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. last — finally

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