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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. branch — a division
  3. deal — to handle
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. firm — steady
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. swing — to play on
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bass — low music
  11. game — a match
  12. swing — in golf
  13. firm — decided
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. firm — a company
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bass — the fish
  22. swing — music
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. game — wild animals

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