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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. spell — magic
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. march — the month
  6. swing — in golf
  7. spell — letters
  8. march — the month
  9. cap — of ice
  10. suit — to fit
  11. rest — a break
  12. cap — a hat
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bass — low music
  15. swing — to play on
  16. march — music
  17. swing — music
  18. spell — a short time
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cap — a lid
  21. spring — the season
  22. suit — clothes
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — a coil

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