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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bass — the fish
  5. shower — rain
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. band — a ring
  9. swing — in golf
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. band — a music group
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. suit — to fit
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. shower — to wash
  17. vault — a safe
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. suit — clothes
  20. cue — for pool
  21. swing — music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. suit — in cards
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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