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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. last — final
  3. can — a tin
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. swing — music
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. swing — in golf
  8. last — to go on
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. ball — a great time
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. staff — a stick
  15. rock — a stone
  16. board — a committee
  17. can — to be able to
  18. staff — employees
  19. swing — to play on
  20. ball — a dance
  21. staff — employees
  22. board — to get on
  23. last — finally
  24. can — a tin

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