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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. drill — army training
  4. stand — to bear
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. chest — of your body
  8. swing — music
  9. pass — a permit
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. drill — a practice
  14. swing — in golf
  15. can — a tin
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. chest — a box
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mug — a cup
  22. swing — to play on
  23. can — a tin
  24. pass — to spend time

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