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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. tube — a container
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pop — to visit
  5. squash — to crush
  6. spell — a short time
  7. object — a thing
  8. pop — soda
  9. object — to protest
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. squash — the sport
  14. object — an aim
  15. spell — letters
  16. swing — music
  17. spell — magic
  18. fall — to drop
  19. tube — the underground
  20. swing — to play on
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pop — music
  23. fall — the season
  24. pitcher — a jug

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