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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 116 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bass — low music
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cell — in biology
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. kick — in football
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bass — the fish
  16. swing — music
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. stock — shares
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. perch — the fish
  21. cell — a phone
  22. stock — goods
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cell — in a prison

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