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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitcher · fine · sharp · track · rule · club · swing · date

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rule — government
  8. fine — all right
  9. track — a path
  10. club — a group
  11. fine — high quality
  12. swing — in golf
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. track — a song
  17. sharp — clever
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. club — for dancing
  20. swing — to play on
  21. rule — a law
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. club — for golf
  24. date — the fruit

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