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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: stick · scale · present · pitcher · key · bowl · last · swing

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. swing — music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. scale — in music
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. swing — in golf
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. swing — to play on
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. last — final
  18. present — the time now
  19. key — in music
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — finally
  22. key — for a lock
  23. present — a gift
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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