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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. club — for dancing
  3. wound — an injury
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. club — for golf
  6. rock — music
  7. toast — bread
  8. present — a gift
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. present — the time now
  12. swing — in golf
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. wound — an injury
  15. swing — to play on
  16. club — a group
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. present — there

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