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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. scale — size or range
  4. mark — a grade
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — a country
  7. tear — to rip
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. scale — in music
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ground — crushed
  13. land — ground
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mark — a trace
  16. ground — a position
  17. tear — from crying
  18. swing — music
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — in cards
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. tear — from crying
  23. ground — the earth
  24. suit — to fit

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