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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. swing — in golf
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. club — a group
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pit — a hole
  11. hand — in cards
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. roll — a list
  14. club — for golf
  15. rule — government
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. roll — a cake
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pit — in a race
  21. rule — a law
  22. swing — music
  23. hand — help
  24. club — for dancing

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