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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  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. swing — to play on
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. file — a line of people
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. staff — employees
  8. swing — music
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — completely
  13. file — a document
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bass — low music
  16. staff — employees
  17. ball — a great time
  18. staff — a stick
  19. file — a tool
  20. rock — a stone
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rock — music
  23. ball — a round shape
  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