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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. swing — music
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. cap — a hat
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bass — the fish
  10. present — there
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for golf
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. swing — in golf
  17. club — for dancing
  18. cap — of ice
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — the time now
  22. bass — low music
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. date — the fruit

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