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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. land — ground
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. swing — to play on
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. land — a country
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. ball — a dance
  19. band — a music group
  20. prune — to trim
  21. land — to come down
  22. wound — an injury
  23. ball — a great time
  24. band — a ring

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