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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pop — soda
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. land — to come down
  6. pop — music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. prune — to trim
  9. land — ground
  10. scale — size or range
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. land — a country
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. swing — in golf
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. pitch — completely
  17. swing — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. prune — to trim
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a leader
  24. wave — of the sea

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