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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — in golf
  3. rule — government
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. content — the amount
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. can — a tin
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. hand — help
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. hand — in cards
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. content — happy
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. rule — a law
  24. swing — to play on

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