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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 120 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. field — farmland
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rock — a stone
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. squash — to crush
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. swing — music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. root — the cause
  15. ball — a dance
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. ball — a great time
  18. swing — to play on
  19. field — for sport
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — low music
  22. field — a subject
  23. rock — music
  24. squash — the sport

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