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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 116 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. swing — in golf
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bound — tied together
  10. swing — to play on
  11. scale — in music
  12. mark — a grade
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. swing — music
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a great time
  23. snap — to click
  24. season — in sport

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