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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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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: mark · rash · pitcher · leaves · hand · bay · pop · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. mark — a grade
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. hand — help
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pop — music
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. swing — music
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. swing — in golf
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — a series
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. mark — a trace
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pop — soda
  21. hand — in cards
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. pop — to visit

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