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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. can — a tin
  4. date — the fruit
  5. clip — to cut
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. land — ground
  8. ground — a position
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. can — to be able to
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — a video
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. land — a country
  16. land — to come down
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — music
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. can — a tin
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. date — on the calendar

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