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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. scale — size or range
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bass — low music
  11. face — part of the head
  12. scale — in music
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bank — for money
  15. bass — the fish
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. face — to confront
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. swing — to play on
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bank — for money
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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