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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 · bore · ball · prune · stand · foot · pitcher · cabinet

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. swing — in golf
  4. foot — a measure
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. stand — to bear
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bore — to drill
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. swing — music
  22. ball — a great time
  23. swing — to play on
  24. foot — part of the body

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