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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 120 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: pitcher · swing · bear · wind · spell · cabinet · content · foot

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. swing — in golf
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. swing — to play on
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — happy
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. spell — a short time
  17. swing — music
  18. foot — a measure
  19. spell — magic
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. spell — letters
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pitcher — a jug

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