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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: swing · ball · pit · mate · suit · drill · content · stock

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mate — a friend
  3. swing — to play on
  4. ball — a dance
  5. content — the amount
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — the tool
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. mate — a partner
  11. suit — to fit
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. mate — to breed
  14. content — happy
  15. swing — music
  16. suit — clothes
  17. stock — shares
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. ball — a great time
  21. suit — in cards
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — in a race
  24. stock — goods

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