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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 116 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. scale — in music
  6. swing — to play on
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bass — the fish
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. swing — music
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. content — happy
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bank — for money
  22. bass — low music
  23. content — the amount
  24. scale — size or range

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