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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  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 — in golf
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. swing — to play on
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. swing — music
  10. ball — a great time
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pit — in a race
  14. tube — the underground
  15. fall — the season
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. tube — a container
  18. ball — a dance
  19. rash — a series
  20. pit — a hole
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. rest — a break
  23. fall — to drop
  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