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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. mate — a partner
  4. content — happy
  5. mate — to breed
  6. suit — in cards
  7. swing — to play on
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. suit — to fit
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. court — for sport
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. content — the amount
  16. court — of law
  17. court — of a king
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — a permit
  20. suit — clothes
  21. swing — in golf
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mate — a friend
  24. kick — in football

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