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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. key — in music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. swing — music
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bass — the fish
  9. present — there
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. present — a gift
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. content — the amount
  14. band — a ring
  15. present — the time now
  16. band — a music group
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — the most important part
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — happy
  22. swing — to play on
  23. snap — to click
  24. leaves — to go away

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