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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 · pitcher · mate · staff · season · lean · drill · chair

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mate — a friend
  3. staff — a stick
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. swing — music
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. staff — employees
  8. season — of the year
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — to play on
  12. drill — the tool
  13. mate — a partner
  14. lean — thin
  15. drill — army training
  16. staff — employees
  17. chair — a leader
  18. season — in sport
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lean — to bend
  23. drill — a practice
  24. mate — to breed

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