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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 116 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: game · field · mate · pitcher · mouse · swing · ball · bay

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. mate — a partner
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — wild animals
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ball — a great time
  11. mate — to breed
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — a subject
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. game — a match
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. ball — a dance
  24. swing — in golf

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