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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. file — a tool
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. file — a document
  10. swing — music
  11. bass — low music
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bass — the fish
  15. mug — a face
  16. current — happening now
  17. rest — what's left
  18. file — a line of people
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. mug — to rob
  21. scale — in music
  22. rest — what's left
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rest — a break

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