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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 · pop · toast · temple · cabinet · ground · perch · track

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. pop — music
  3. track — a song
  4. pop — to visit
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. swing — music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pop — soda
  11. track — a path
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. ground — the earth
  14. swing — in golf
  15. track — to keep track
  16. ground — a position
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. toast — bread
  20. perch — the fish
  21. ground — crushed
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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