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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. present — a gift
  3. firm — decided
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. suit — in cards
  6. firm — steady
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. swing — to play on
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. firm — a company
  13. mug — a cup
  14. pass — a permit
  15. can — a tin
  16. present — the time now
  17. mug — to rob
  18. can — a tin
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. swing — in golf
  22. suit — to fit
  23. present — there
  24. swing — music

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