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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: bay · spring · pitcher · deal · hide · squash · swing · fork

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. spring — of water
  8. swing — to play on
  9. squash — the sport
  10. spring — a coil
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. squash — to crush
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. spring — the season
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. deal — to handle
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. swing — music
  23. fork — in a road
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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