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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bass — the fish
  3. swing — in golf
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. press — to push
  10. bass — low music
  11. stock — goods
  12. suit — clothes
  13. press — newspapers
  14. swing — to play on
  15. prune — to trim
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. stock — shares
  18. press — a publisher
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. suit — in cards
  22. swing — music
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. date — the fruit

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