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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: bark · rock · pop · staff · ball · present · swing · date

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. present — the time now
  3. swing — to play on
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. pop — music
  10. staff — employees
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. present — there
  13. rock — a stone
  14. staff — employees
  15. ball — a great time
  16. pop — soda
  17. bark — to shout
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — in golf
  20. ball — a dance
  21. pop — to visit
  22. present — a gift
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. staff — a stick

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