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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. swing — to play on
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pop — music
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. club — a group
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bear — the animal
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pop — to visit
  13. swing — music
  14. club — for golf
  15. bass — low music
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pop — soda
  18. club — for dancing
  19. swing — in golf
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. calf — a young animal
  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