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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  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 — music
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. prune — to trim
  4. swing — to play on
  5. charge — a price
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bass — the fish
  9. prune — to trim
  10. charge — in control
  11. bass — low music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. sharp — clever
  18. track — a path
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. wax — to grow
  23. prune — the fruit
  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