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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bass — the fish
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. swing — music
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. season — in sport
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bass — low music
  12. cap — a hat
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. cap — a lid
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. season — of the year
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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