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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — music
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bear — the animal
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. court — for sport
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. mine — for digging
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. swing — to play on
  16. band — a music group
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. court — of law
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. band — a ring
  22. prune — to trim
  23. court — of a king
  24. chair — a leader

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