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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bark — to shout
  3. vault — a safe
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. swing — to play on
  6. chip — to eat
  7. present — the time now
  8. ground — crushed
  9. date — the fruit
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. ground — a position
  13. present — there
  14. ground — the earth
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. mug — a face
  23. swing — in golf
  24. present — a gift

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