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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. dip — to sink
  4. swing — music
  5. bass — low music
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bass — the fish
  10. track — a path
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. swing — to play on
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. rock — a stone
  16. capital — money
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rock — music
  19. capital — a city
  20. pitch — completely
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. track — to keep track
  23. cap — of ice
  24. track — a song

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