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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. swing — music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. saw — the tool
  6. swing — in golf
  7. land — a country
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. land — ground
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. lean — thin
  12. net — for catching
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. lean — to bend
  15. pass — a permit
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. saw — the tool
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. swing — to play on
  21. net — in sport
  22. bass — low music
  23. land — to come down
  24. net — after costs

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