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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. present — a gift
  3. swing — music
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. fork — in a road
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. board — a committee
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. rash — a series
  16. swing — in golf
  17. board — to get on
  18. swing — to play on
  19. present — there
  20. pop — music
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. present — the time now
  23. pop — to visit
  24. stand — for spectators

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