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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. shower — to wash
  4. scale — in music
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mate — a friend
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — to breed
  14. row — a line
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. row — to paddle
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. shower — rain
  24. swing — to play on

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