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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 116 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — music
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. rock — a stone
  7. spring — of water
  8. season — of the year
  9. pit — in a race
  10. cold — an illness
  11. spring — the season
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — in sport
  14. bound — tied together
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bound — obliged
  18. rock — music
  19. spring — a coil
  20. suit — clothes
  21. cold — not warm
  22. suit — in cards
  23. swing — to play on
  24. rock — to move gently

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