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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. mark — a grade
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bass — low music
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. game — a match
  12. mug — a cup
  13. game — wild animals
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. mug — to rob
  20. swing — in golf
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bass — the fish
  23. mug — a face
  24. hide — to keep secret

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