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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 116 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. band — a music group
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. last — finally
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. prune — to trim
  10. last — final
  11. root — the cause
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pit — in a race
  14. root — of a word
  15. net — for catching
  16. band — a ring
  17. last — to go on
  18. net — in sport
  19. root — of a plant
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. net — after costs
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. pit — a hole

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