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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. firm — decided
  3. swing — music
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. scale — size or range
  6. kick — in football
  7. firm — a company
  8. content — the amount
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. band — a music group
  11. firm — steady
  12. content — happy
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. march — music
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. band — a ring
  19. march — the month
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. swing — to play on
  23. scale — in music
  24. march — the month

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