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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. season — in sport
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. swing — music
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. swing — to play on
  13. cap — of ice
  14. march — music
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. cap — a hat
  18. deal — to handle
  19. season — of the year
  20. land — a country
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cap — a lid
  23. land — ground
  24. swing — in golf

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