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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. swing — in golf
  3. court — of a king
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bass — low music
  6. season — of the year
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. court — of law
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. can — a tin
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — a phone
  16. can — a tin
  17. season — in sport
  18. court — for sport
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. march — the month
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — music
  24. cabinet — ministers

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