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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 120 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. scale — in music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. current — happening now
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. swing — in golf
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. current — of water
  11. bark — to shout
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. scale — size or range
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. branch — a division
  18. suit — clothes
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. current — electric

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