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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bass — low music
  3. club — a group
  4. swing — music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. swing — to play on
  7. club — for golf
  8. sharp — clever
  9. file — a tool
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bass — the fish
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. object — a thing
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. object — an aim
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. object — to protest
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. club — for dancing
  24. file — a document

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