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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. can — to be able to
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bass — low music
  8. swing — to play on
  9. can — a tin
  10. roll — a list
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bass — the fish
  13. roll — a cake
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. swing — music
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bark — to shout
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. deal — to handle
  21. can — a tin
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. plane — a tool
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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