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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. rash — a series
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. swing — to play on
  5. ground — the earth
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rash — hasty
  10. scale — in music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. saw — the tool
  15. ground — crushed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. prune — to trim
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. ground — a position
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pass — a permit
  24. scale — size or range

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