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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pop — to visit
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. firm — a company
  7. swing — music
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. suit — in cards
  10. firm — steady
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bass — the fish
  13. tear — from crying
  14. file — a document
  15. swing — in golf
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — soda
  19. firm — decided
  20. bass — low music
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. swing — to play on
  24. suit — clothes

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