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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 120 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. fine — high quality
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rule — government
  6. swing — to play on
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — for digging
  11. squash — the sport
  12. rule — a law
  13. squash — to crush
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. tube — a container
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — in music
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. scale — size or range
  23. fine — all right
  24. tube — in a tire

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