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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: deal · hide · swing · ground · straw · cue · leaves · pitcher

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. cue — a hint
  3. ground — the earth
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. cue — a signal
  7. swing — in golf
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. ground — crushed
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cue — for pool
  19. swing — music
  20. ground — a position
  21. deal — to handle
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. leaves — to go away

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