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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. march — the month
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mark — a trace
  7. craft — a skill
  8. march — music
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mark — a grade
  13. perch — the fish
  14. chest — a box
  15. swing — to play on
  16. craft — boats
  17. swing — in golf
  18. prune — to trim
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. march — the month
  24. prune — to trim

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