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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. scale — in music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. current — happening now
  5. spell — a short time
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. current — electric
  11. spell — magic
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pop — music
  16. present — there
  17. present — the time now
  18. spell — letters
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. current — of water
  21. scale — size or range
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. swing — in golf
  24. present — a gift

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