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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — low music
  3. content — happy
  4. swing — music
  5. suit — in cards
  6. spell — magic
  7. wax — to grow
  8. spell — letters
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. spell — a short time
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. suit — to fit
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — to play on
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pit — a hole
  20. content — the amount
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. suit — clothes
  24. pit — in a race

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