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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 116 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. row — a line
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. net — for catching
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. suit — clothes
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. mine — for digging
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. pitch — completely
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cabinet — ministers

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