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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. swing — music
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bass — the fish
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bass — low music
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. deal — to handle
  20. track — a path
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. wound — an injury
  23. chair — a leader
  24. mark — a trace

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