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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. sharp — clever
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. swing — to play on
  10. lie — to recline
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bass — low music
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. hand — help
  20. swing — in golf
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. deal — to handle
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. lie — an untruth

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