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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. swing — music
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bass — the fish
  9. last — to go on
  10. capital — money
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bat — the animal
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. swing — in golf
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bass — low music
  18. capital — a city
  19. bear — the animal
  20. last — finally
  21. last — final
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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