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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. rock — a stone
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. hand — help
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — the season
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. rock — music
  19. hand — in cards
  20. swing — in golf
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cue — for pool

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