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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. saw — the tool
  4. swing — to play on
  5. craft — a skill
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bass — the fish
  8. craft — boats
  9. lean — thin
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pop — to visit
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bass — low music
  16. cue — a signal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pop — music
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. cue — a hint
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. swing — music
  23. pop — soda
  24. cue — for pool

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