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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. swing — to play on
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. court — for sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. court — of a king
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the fish
  15. root — the cause
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. swing — in golf
  19. season — in sport
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. court — of law
  22. root — of a word
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. jam — in traffic

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