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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  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. bass — the fish
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. swing — music
  4. craft — a skill
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pop — soda
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bass — low music
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. file — a tool
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. file — a document
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. craft — boats
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. swing — to play on
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. file — a line of people
  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