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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — music
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. rash — hasty
  14. toast — bread
  15. swing — in golf
  16. band — a music group
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rash — a series
  19. band — a ring
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. deal — to handle
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. deal — an agreement

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