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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: pitcher · bass · court · swing · object · firm · last · cabinet

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. firm — steady
  6. last — final
  7. last — finally
  8. swing — music
  9. last — to go on
  10. swing — to play on
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. court — of law
  15. bass — the fish
  16. firm — a company
  17. court — of a king
  18. bass — low music
  19. object — a thing
  20. firm — decided
  21. court — for sport
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. swing — in golf
  24. object — an aim

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