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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. swing — to play on
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. degree — an amount
  7. swing — in golf
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — a hat
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bound — obliged
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bound — tied together
  15. suit — in cards
  16. track — a path
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bound — certain
  19. cap — of ice
  20. degree — temperature
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. track — a song

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