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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bass — low music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. season — in sport
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. stand — to bear
  11. file — a line of people
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — of the year
  15. rock — music
  16. deal — to handle
  17. file — a document
  18. swing — to play on
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. perch — the fish
  21. rock — a stone
  22. swing — music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. file — a tool

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