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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. swing — in golf
  4. last — finally
  5. bass — low music
  6. prune — to trim
  7. season — in sport
  8. cue — a hint
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bass — the fish
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. cue — a signal
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. prune — to trim
  16. last — final
  17. last — to go on
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. swing — to play on
  20. cue — for pool
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a great time
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. season — of the year

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