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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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468
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: calf · tube · bear · swing · chair · sharp · pass · pitch

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pitch — completely
  4. tube — a container
  5. swing — in golf
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. swing — to play on
  8. chair — a leader
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bear — the animal
  13. swing — music
  14. bear — the animal
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. sharp — clever
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bear — to put up with

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