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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. swing — music
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. band — a music group
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — shares
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — a video
  12. pitch — completely
  13. stock — goods
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. clip — to cut
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. swing — in golf
  23. band — a ring
  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