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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. band — a music group
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bass — low music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rock — a stone
  12. band — a ring
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. rock — music
  15. pitch — completely
  16. swing — to play on
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bass — the fish
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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