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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. root — of a word
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. fall — to drop
  6. root — of a plant
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fall — to drop
  9. swing — to play on
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. swing — in golf
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — in a race
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. root — the cause
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. scale — in music
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bark — to shout
  23. fall — the season
  24. cabinet — ministers

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