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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. rock — a stone
  6. suit — to fit
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. ground — a position
  9. suit — clothes
  10. swing — music
  11. pit — a hole
  12. swing — in golf
  13. suit — in cards
  14. firm — decided
  15. pit — in a race
  16. ground — crushed
  17. firm — steady
  18. sharp — clever
  19. firm — a company
  20. cell — in biology
  21. ground — the earth
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. swing — to play on
  24. sharp — exactly

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