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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: mate · wave · deal · bark · pitcher · wound · swing · jam

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. swing — music
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. mate — a partner
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. mate — a friend
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mate — to breed
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — to shout
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. jam — in traffic

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