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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. swing — music
  2. suit — in cards
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. present — a gift
  6. suit — clothes
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — a coil
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fine — high quality
  12. suit — to fit
  13. swing — in golf
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. swing — to play on
  16. spring — the season
  17. fine — all right
  18. pitch — completely
  19. present — the time now
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. present — there
  22. season — of the year
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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