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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. spring — of water
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — music
  5. bass — low music
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bass — the fish
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. club — a group
  10. pop — to visit
  11. spring — the season
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pop — soda
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. ball — a dance
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. swing — to play on
  20. pop — music
  21. club — for golf
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. club — for dancing

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