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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: squash · swing · present · object · pit · spell · bear · bat

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. pit — in a race
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bat — the animal
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bear — the animal
  7. swing — to play on
  8. present — the time now
  9. spell — letters
  10. object — an aim
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — music
  13. object — a thing
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. pit — a hole
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — there
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bear — the animal
  21. object — to protest
  22. squash — the sport
  23. spell — magic
  24. squash — the vegetable

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