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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. season — of the year
  5. cap — a hat
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. spell — letters
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. pitch — completely
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bass — the fish
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. season — in sport
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. hand — help
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. spell — a short time
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. spell — magic
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — to play on
  23. cap — a lid
  24. hand — in cards

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