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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. swing — in golf
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cue — for pool
  5. can — a tin
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. cue — a hint
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. clip — to cut
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rash — a series
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. clip — a video
  15. lean — thin
  16. can — a tin
  17. clip — for paper
  18. swing — music
  19. can — to be able to
  20. cue — a signal
  21. lean — to bend
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. swing — to play on
  24. rash — on the skin

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