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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — music
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. land — to come down
  5. can — to be able to
  6. last — finally
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. can — a tin
  11. swing — to play on
  12. last — final
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. roll — a list
  15. land — a country
  16. rush — hurry
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. last — to go on
  21. can — a tin
  22. land — ground
  23. roll — a cake
  24. chest — of your 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