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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. swing — to play on
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. deal — to handle
  6. track — a song
  7. plane — a tool
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. board — a committee
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. track — a path
  19. swing — music
  20. bass — low music
  21. board — to get on
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. swing — in golf
  24. racket — for tennis

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