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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. race — a contest
  3. suit — to fit
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. swing — music
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. roll — a list
  11. ground — a position
  12. cue — a signal
  13. suit — clothes
  14. ground — crushed
  15. cue — a hint
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. swing — in golf
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bear — the animal
  23. race — humankind
  24. race — the arms race

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