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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — a position
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. ground — the earth
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. court — of a king
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — a safe
  14. court — of law
  15. court — for sport
  16. cap — of ice
  17. swing — to play on
  18. pound — a weight
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. swing — in golf
  21. cap — a hat
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. date — the fruit

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