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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bat — the animal
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — soda
  5. swing — to play on
  6. face — to confront
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. season — of the year
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — in cards
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. season — in sport
  20. face — part of the head
  21. swing — in golf
  22. face — to point toward
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. swing — music

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