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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. cell — in biology
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. swing — in golf
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. firm — a company
  11. lean — thin
  12. swing — to play on
  13. date — the fruit
  14. roll — a cake
  15. roll — a list
  16. capital — money
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. capital — a city
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. firm — decided
  22. cell — a phone
  23. firm — steady
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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