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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. can — to be able to
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — music
  5. fall — the season
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. club — for golf
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. club — a group
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. club — for dancing
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — completely
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. fall — to drop
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bass — the fish
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bass — low music

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