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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lean — thin
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. degree — from a university
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bass — the fish
  11. game — a match
  12. lean — to bend
  13. cue — a hint
  14. swing — music
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. degree — temperature
  20. game — wild animals
  21. degree — an amount
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bass — low music

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