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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bass — low music
  5. object — a thing
  6. swing — music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. pop — music
  11. object — an aim
  12. swing — in golf
  13. cap — a lid
  14. swing — to play on
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. pop — to visit
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. object — to protest
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a hat
  22. rock — music
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. wound — an injury

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