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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 don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. drill — the tool
  3. swing — music
  4. pop — soda
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. staff — a stick
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. staff — employees
  9. pop — music
  10. drill — a practice
  11. cap — a hat
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. drill — army training
  14. cap — a lid
  15. swing — to play on
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. swing — in golf
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. staff — employees
  21. stand — to bear
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. cap — of ice

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