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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — music
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. staff — employees
  6. ball — a dance
  7. staff — a stick
  8. lean — thin
  9. net — for catching
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bass — the fish
  12. net — after costs
  13. lean — to bend
  14. staff — employees
  15. bass — low music
  16. ball — a great time
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. band — a music group
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. swing — to play on
  21. net — in sport
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. leaves — of a tree

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