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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bass — low music
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. swing — music
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — of water
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. swing — to play on
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bass — the fish
  21. swing — in golf
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. mouse — the animal

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