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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bear — the animal
  3. present — there
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. swing — music
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — to rob
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bass — low music
  16. present — the time now
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bear — the animal
  19. present — a gift
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bass — the instrument
  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