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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 120 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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pit — in a race
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. last — finally
  7. key — the most important part
  8. squash — the sport
  9. last — to go on
  10. swing — in golf
  11. key — for a lock
  12. pit — a hole
  13. last — final
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bass — low music
  22. key — in music
  23. pop — music
  24. game — a match

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