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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. row — a line
  4. bound — tied together
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — a safe
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. swing — to play on
  11. last — to go on
  12. bound — obliged
  13. swing — in golf
  14. perch — the fish
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bound — certain
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. last — final
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bat — the animal
  24. last — finally

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