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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: dip · swing · pitcher · chair · sharp · bear · board · can

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. chair — a leader
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. can — to be able to
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. can — a tin
  10. sharp — clever
  11. board — a committee
  12. can — a tin
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bear — the animal
  16. swing — in golf
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bear — the animal
  20. board — to get on
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — music
  24. board — a flat piece

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