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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. swing — in golf
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. fork — in a road
  8. swing — to play on
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. kick — in football
  11. swing — music
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. net — in sport
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. spell — a short time
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. spell — magic
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — low music

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