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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. squash — the sport
  5. board — to get on
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mine — for digging
  8. swing — in golf
  9. board — a committee
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a trace
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. swing — to play on
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bass — the fish
  20. mark — a grade
  21. sharp — clever
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bass — low music

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