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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. swing — music
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. track — a path
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bass — the fish
  8. track — a song
  9. swing — to play on
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rush — hurry
  12. branch — a division
  13. bass — low music
  14. snap — to click
  15. track — to keep track
  16. swing — in golf
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. ball — a dance
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. rush — a thrill

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