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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. kick — in football
  7. swing — in golf
  8. spell — a short time
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. swing — to play on
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. kick — with a leg

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