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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 120 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. march — music
  4. ground — crushed
  5. chip — for betting
  6. swing — music
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. swing — in golf
  11. march — the month
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. swing — to play on
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bass — low music
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. march — the month
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — for digging
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bass — the fish
  24. calf — of the leg

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