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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 120 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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — in golf
  3. fine — high quality
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fine — all right
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. track — a path
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. fork — in a road
  20. track — to keep track
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. track — a song

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