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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. swing — in golf
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. ball — a dance
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. land — ground
  10. swing — to play on
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — certain
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. land — to come down
  16. chip — for betting
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — in cards
  19. land — a country
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bound — obliged
  22. roll — a list
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. roll — a cake

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