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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — music
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. net — in sport
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. saw — the tool
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. saw — the tool
  10. net — after costs
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stock — goods
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. net — for catching
  16. bass — the fish
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stock — shares
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bass — low music
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. stock — a soup base

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