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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
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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 · cabinet · land · present · date · bay · rock · season

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. season — of the year
  5. present — the time now
  6. season — in sport
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. date — the fruit
  9. rock — a stone
  10. present — a gift
  11. swing — in golf
  12. land — to come down
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. swing — music
  21. rock — music
  22. land — ground
  23. land — a country
  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