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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. capital — money
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. swing — music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. degree — temperature
  8. swing — to play on
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. swing — in golf
  11. club — for dancing
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. date — the fruit
  16. club — for golf
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. season — in sport
  19. degree — from a university
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. capital — a city
  23. degree — an amount
  24. club — a group

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