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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. land — to come down
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. craft — a skill
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. swing — music
  7. dip — to sink
  8. swing — in golf
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. land — a country
  11. land — ground
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — in sport
  14. suit — to fit
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. suit — in cards
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — in music
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. craft — boats
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. suit — clothes

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