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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. suit — to fit
  3. swing — in golf
  4. mark — a grade
  5. ball — a dance
  6. swing — music
  7. root — of a plant
  8. clip — a video
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. mug — a cup
  12. clip — to cut
  13. root — of a word
  14. suit — clothes
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. root — the cause
  18. clip — for paper
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — to rob
  24. suit — in cards

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