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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bass — the fish
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bass — low music
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bark — to shout
  10. kid — child
  11. track — a path
  12. can — a tin
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to click
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. can — a tin
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. swing — music
  20. cap — of ice
  21. kid — to tease
  22. track — a song
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cap — a hat

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