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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — music
  3. season — in sport
  4. mate — a friend
  5. net — in sport
  6. season — of the year
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. mate — to breed
  11. scale — in music
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. net — after costs
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. net — for catching
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. mate — a partner
  22. swing — in golf
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. wake — a trail

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