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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 124 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bass — the fish
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. net — after costs
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. club — a group
  9. net — in sport
  10. swing — to play on
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. net — for catching
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. snap — to click
  18. swing — in golf
  19. club — for dancing
  20. swing — music
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. club — for golf
  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