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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rock — music
  4. firm — a company
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. file — a document
  8. firm — decided
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. swing — to play on
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. file — a tool
  13. content — the amount
  14. sharp — clever
  15. rock — a stone
  16. swing — in golf
  17. content — happy
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. firm — steady
  20. file — a line of people
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pitcher — a jug

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