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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. swing — music
  4. land — a country
  5. swing — to play on
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. track — to keep track
  8. suit — clothes
  9. scale — size or range
  10. land — to come down
  11. suit — in cards
  12. track — a path
  13. swing — in golf
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to click
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — in music
  18. saw — the tool
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. land — ground
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. suit — to fit
  23. track — a song
  24. saw — the tool

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