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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. stock — shares
  6. bass — the fish
  7. shower — rain
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. shower — to wash
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bass — low music
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. stock — goods
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. squash — to crush
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. squash — the sport
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. swing — to play on
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. swing — in golf

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