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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: pitcher · swing · present · mate · tube · rock · lash · bear

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mate — to breed
  3. swing — music
  4. present — there
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. tube — the underground
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bear — the animal
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. swing — in golf
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. present — the time now
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. swing — to play on
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. rock — music
  18. mate — a partner
  19. rock — a stone
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. present — a gift
  22. tube — a container
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bear — the animal

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