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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 120 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bass — low music
  4. drill — army training
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bass — the fish
  7. swing — music
  8. march — music
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. swing — to play on
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pitch — completely
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. march — the month
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. march — the month
  20. drill — the tool
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. drill — a practice
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. swing — in golf

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