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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — soda
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. swing — music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bound — certain
  10. prune — to trim
  11. march — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. stand — to bear
  14. ball — a great time
  15. club — a group
  16. march — the month
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. club — for dancing
  19. march — the month
  20. bound — obliged
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. club — for golf
  23. swing — in golf
  24. ball — a dance

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