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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. season — in sport
  3. pop — music
  4. swing — music
  5. band — a music group
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. season — of the year
  8. spell — a short time
  9. swing — to play on
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. content — happy
  13. mate — a friend
  14. spell — magic
  15. content — the amount
  16. pop — to visit
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. band — a ring
  20. pop — soda
  21. mate — to breed
  22. spell — letters
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. mate — a partner

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