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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. sharp — clever
  3. root — of a word
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. root — the cause
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. scale — size or range
  11. drill — a practice
  12. firm — decided
  13. drill — the tool
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. firm — a company
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. root — of a plant
  19. drill — army training
  20. firm — steady
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. scale — in music
  24. can — a tin

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