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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: race · swing · cue · date · pop · toast · perch · deal

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. swing — in golf
  4. race — humankind
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — soda
  8. swing — music
  9. cue — for pool
  10. perch — the fish
  11. pop — music
  12. race — the arms race
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. deal — to handle
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. race — a contest
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — a signal
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. date — the fruit
  24. deal — a big deal

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