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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bat — the animal
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. band — a music group
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. swing — to play on
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. scale — in music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. firm — a company
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bass — the fish
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. band — a ring
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. swing — music
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bass — low music
  23. bulb — for light
  24. firm — decided

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