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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. toast — bread
  3. cap — a hat
  4. pop — music
  5. can — a tin
  6. swing — music
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. cap — a lid
  11. last — to go on
  12. can — a tin
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. last — final
  15. last — finally
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — soda
  18. can — to be able to
  19. cap — of ice
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. swing — to play on
  24. rock — a stone

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