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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. ball — a great time
  3. swing — in golf
  4. hand — help
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bass — low music
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bass — the fish
  11. foot — a measure
  12. scale — size or range
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. swing — to play on
  17. hand — in cards
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. scale — in music
  20. swing — music
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. ball — a dance
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lie — to recline

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