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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pop — soda
  3. present — there
  4. swing — to play on
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. hand — in cards
  7. swing — in golf
  8. suit — to fit
  9. swing — music
  10. present — a gift
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. capital — a city
  14. date — the fruit
  15. pop — music
  16. present — the time now
  17. suit — in cards
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. suit — clothes
  21. capital — money
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pop — to visit

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