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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · band · pop · craft · mine · racket · mate · swing

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. pop — music
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mate — a friend
  6. swing — in golf
  7. band — a ring
  8. craft — boats
  9. pop — soda
  10. mine — for digging
  11. craft — a skill
  12. band — a music group
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. swing — to play on
  15. mate — to breed
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mate — a partner
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. pop — to visit
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. swing — music

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