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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. lean — thin
  4. club — for golf
  5. rock — music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. swing — in golf
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. swing — to play on
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. stock — shares
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. club — for dancing
  16. lie — to recline
  17. club — a group
  18. rock — a stone
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. stock — goods
  23. hand — in cards
  24. stock — a soup base

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