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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pitch — completely
  6. tube — the underground
  7. swing — music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. land — ground
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. prune — to trim
  12. land — to come down
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. swing — in golf
  15. land — a country
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ball — a great time
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — a container
  24. ball — a dance

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