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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: plane · swing · jam · club · kick · pop · degree · wake

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. degree — temperature
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. pop — music
  6. degree — an amount
  7. club — a group
  8. degree — from a university
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — in football
  11. pop — to visit
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. swing — in golf
  14. club — for dancing
  15. wake — a trail
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. plane — a tool
  21. club — for golf
  22. swing — to play on
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. pop — soda

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