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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. fine — all right
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. chip — to eat
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. swing — to play on
  14. pit — in a race
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. chip — for betting
  22. swing — in golf
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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