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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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. tear — from crying
  7. deal — to handle
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. root — the cause
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. swing — music
  12. bark — to shout
  13. pitch — completely
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. swing — to play on
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. swing — in golf

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