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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  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. firm — a company
  2. content — the amount
  3. firm — decided
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. firm — steady
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. swing — music
  9. degree — temperature
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bass — the fish
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. content — happy
  17. swing — to play on
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bore — to tire
  20. pitch — completely
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bore — to drill
  23. swing — in golf
  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