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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. mark — a trace
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. lean — thin
  5. suit — in cards
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bass — the fish
  8. last — final
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. last — to go on
  11. swing — in golf
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bass — low music
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mark — a grade
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. suit — clothes
  19. swing — music
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. swing — to play on
  23. last — finally
  24. jam — a tight spot

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