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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. roll — a cake
  3. swing — music
  4. present — a gift
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. present — the time now
  8. mark — a trace
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. swing — in golf
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. present — there
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. clip — a video
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. clip — for paper
  21. mark — a grade
  22. swing — to play on
  23. roll — a list
  24. clip — to cut

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