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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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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: straw · suit · stick · pitcher · spell · rock · swing · pop

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. swing — music
  3. suit — to fit
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. spell — letters
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. swing — in golf
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. pop — soda
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — music
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. swing — to play on
  21. pop — music
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — clothes
  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