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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. fine — high quality
  3. ball — a dance
  4. spell — letters
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. cue — a hint
  8. swing — in golf
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. fine — all right
  12. spell — magic
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mug — a face
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ball — a great time
  17. cue — a signal
  18. mug — a cup
  19. spell — a short time
  20. cue — for pool
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. mug — to rob
  24. swing — to play on

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