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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bass — the fish
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. suit — clothes
  5. swing — music
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. chair — a leader
  8. file — a tool
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — low music
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. suit — to fit
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. swing — in golf
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. suit — in cards
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. file — a document
  24. racket — a loud noise

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