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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. rock — music
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. season — in sport
  5. ball — a dance
  6. season — of the year
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. swing — to play on
  11. perch — the fish
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rule — government
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. swing — in golf
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rule — a law
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. march — the month
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. kick — in football
  24. rock — to move gently

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