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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. pop — to visit
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — in golf
  5. suit — clothes
  6. swing — music
  7. court — for sport
  8. bound — tied together
  9. root — of a word
  10. court — of law
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pop — soda
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. court — of a king
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. root — of a plant
  22. pop — music
  23. root — the cause
  24. suit — to fit

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