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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: swing · jam · rule · pop · date · mark · mug · scale

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. swing — in golf
  4. pop — to visit
  5. swing — music
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. swing — to play on
  8. mug — to rob
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. rule — government
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mug — a face
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. pop — music
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. scale — size or range
  18. mark — a grade
  19. scale — in music
  20. rule — a law
  21. date — the fruit
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. pop — soda

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