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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. swing — music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. degree — temperature
  6. hand — help
  7. bass — the fish
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. stand — to bear
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bass — low music
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — from a university
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. hand — in cards
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. board — a committee
  24. swing — to play on

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