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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. root — of a word
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. root — of a plant
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. swing — to play on
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. root — the cause
  18. scale — size or range
  19. game — a match
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. swing — in golf
  22. pass — a permit
  23. wake — a trail
  24. scale — in music

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