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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. swing — in golf
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. roll — a list
  8. last — to go on
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. swing — to play on
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mark — a grade
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. last — final
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mark — a trace
  20. last — finally
  21. swing — music
  22. chair — a leader
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. jam — in traffic

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