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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bass — low music
  3. swing — music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. squash — to crush
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bear — the animal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. mark — a trace
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — to cut
  13. squash — the sport
  14. deal — to handle
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. clip — a video
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bear — the animal
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. swing — to play on
  24. deal — a big deal

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