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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. swing — to play on
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. scale — in music
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — a video
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. mate — a partner
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. swing — in golf
  17. mate — a friend
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. snap — to click
  21. rock — music
  22. chair — a leader
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mate — to breed

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