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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. object — a thing
  4. field — a subject
  5. tube — a container
  6. object — to protest
  7. swing — in golf
  8. object — an aim
  9. tube — the underground
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — farmland
  13. snap — to click
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bass — low music
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. swing — to play on
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. suit — to fit
  23. mine — for digging
  24. suit — clothes

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