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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. last — to go on
  3. key — in music
  4. last — finally
  5. bass — the fish
  6. content — the amount
  7. spring — the season
  8. swing — in golf
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. last — final
  12. key — for a lock
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. deal — to handle
  17. swing — to play on
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — of water
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. key — the most important part
  24. content — happy

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