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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 116 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. swing — in golf
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. capital — a city
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pass — a permit
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. swing — to play on
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. ground — a position
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. capital — money
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. ground — crushed
  21. fine — all right
  22. ground — the earth
  23. fine — high quality
  24. saw — the tool

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