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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. swing — music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. mark — a grade
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mark — a trace
  14. deal — to handle
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. swing — to play on
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. season — of the year
  21. swing — in golf
  22. season — in sport
  23. scale — in music
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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