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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. staff — employees
  7. hand — help
  8. club — for dancing
  9. ground — the earth
  10. club — a group
  11. tube — the underground
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. staff — a stick
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. club — for golf
  16. tube — a container
  17. staff — employees
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — a position
  24. suit — to fit

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