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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pop — soda
  5. swing — to play on
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bound — certain
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cold — not warm
  11. pass — a permit
  12. ball — a dance
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pop — to visit
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bound — obliged
  17. pop — music
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. swing — in golf
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. ruler — a monarch

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