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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 · suit · pitcher · firm · ball · field · swing · root

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. field — for sport
  3. firm — decided
  4. suit — in cards
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. firm — a company
  8. field — farmland
  9. swing — to play on
  10. field — a subject
  11. root — of a word
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. swing — in golf
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. swing — music
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — the cause
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. firm — steady
  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