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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bass — low music
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. tube — the underground
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. present — a gift
  9. saw — the tool
  10. swing — to play on
  11. scale — size or range
  12. present — there
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. present — the time now
  17. swing — in golf
  18. tube — a container
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bass — the fish
  21. can — a tin
  22. saw — the tool
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. swing — 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