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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: mug · foot · swing · court · pit · pitcher · wave · safe

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mug — a cup
  4. swing — in golf
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. court — of a king
  7. pit — in a race
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pit — a hole
  10. foot — a measure
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. mug — to rob
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. swing — music
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. court — for sport
  18. mug — a face
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. court — of law
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. foot — the bottom

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