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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. ball — a dance
  4. swing — music
  5. ball — a great time
  6. mate — a friend
  7. club — for dancing
  8. swing — to play on
  9. season — of the year
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for golf
  13. pop — music
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. perch — the fish
  17. mate — a partner
  18. swing — in golf
  19. pop — soda
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pop — to visit
  22. fine — all right
  23. mate — to breed
  24. fine — a penalty

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