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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. swing — music
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — farmland
  5. stand — to bear
  6. suit — clothes
  7. can — a tin
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. swing — in golf
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. suit — in cards
  15. swing — to play on
  16. field — for sport
  17. suit — to fit
  18. can — to be able to
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. game — a match
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. game — wild animals
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. can — a tin

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