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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. net — after costs
  5. rest — what's left
  6. swing — in golf
  7. rest — a break
  8. season — in sport
  9. cue — a hint
  10. swing — to play on
  11. net — for catching
  12. band — a ring
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cue — for pool
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — of the year
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. band — a music group
  21. net — in sport
  22. ground — a position
  23. cue — a signal
  24. band — a rubber band

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