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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 120 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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. swing — music
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — the time now
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bass — low music
  11. pitch — completely
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. present — there
  14. key — in music
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. key — for a lock
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bass — the fish
  20. key — the most important part
  21. clip — a video
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. swing — to play on
  24. calf — a young animal

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