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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. rash — a series
  4. capital — money
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rest — what's left
  8. date — the fruit
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pop — to visit
  11. rock — a stone
  12. capital — a city
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pop — soda
  15. rock — music
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rest — a break
  19. pop — music
  20. swing — music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. capital — a big letter

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