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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. scale — size or range
  4. swing — music
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. scale — in music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. rest — what's left
  10. prune — to trim
  11. content — the amount
  12. swing — to play on
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bound — tied together
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bound — obliged
  20. press — to push
  21. bound — certain
  22. content — happy
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. cabinet — ministers

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