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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. swing — to play on
  3. wound — an injury
  4. object — a thing
  5. swing — in golf
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. object — an aim
  10. deal — to handle
  11. roll — a list
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. object — to protest
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. roll — a cake
  16. kid — to tease
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. kid — child
  19. bass — low music
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. swing — music
  24. bass — the fish

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