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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. stock — goods
  7. pop — soda
  8. band — a music group
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bat — the animal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stock — shares
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. pop — to visit
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. band — a ring
  23. pop — music
  24. saw — the tool

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