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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 120 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. band — a music group
  3. bass — low music
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. craft — a skill
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bass — the fish
  9. mark — a grade
  10. craft — boats
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. stem — to come from
  14. ground — the earth
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. swing — in golf
  18. band — a ring
  19. swing — to play on
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. mark — to pay attention

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