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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — to fit
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — a match
  7. swing — to play on
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. game — wild animals
  10. roll — a cake
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. suit — in cards
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bass — the fish
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bass — low music
  20. prune — to trim
  21. swing — music
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. roll — a list
  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