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

Word bank: lie · present · rule · season · pit · swing · foot · march

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. march — the month
  4. lie — to recline
  5. swing — in golf
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. pit — a hole
  8. march — the month
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. season — of the year
  11. march — music
  12. present — the time now
  13. rule — government
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. present — a gift
  17. foot — a measure
  18. present — there
  19. pit — in a race
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rule — a law
  23. season — in sport
  24. swing — to play on

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