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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — in golf
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. court — of a king
  6. bass — the fish
  7. face — part of the head
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — clever
  12. face — to point toward
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. key — in music
  15. face — to confront
  16. court — for sport
  17. land — to come down
  18. bass — low music
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — the most important part
  21. land — ground
  22. land — a country
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. court — of law

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