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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. file — a line of people
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. file — a document
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. swing — music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. dip — to sink
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. file — a tool
  16. sharp — clever
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — to tease
  20. swing — to play on
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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