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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bound — tied together
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bound — obliged
  9. swing — music
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. game — a match
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bass — low music
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. chip — for betting
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. chip — to eat
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bound — certain
  22. swing — to play on
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bass — the fish

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