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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. swing — music
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. dip — to sink
  8. present — the time now
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. mug — a face
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. present — a gift
  17. hand — help
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bass — low music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. swing — to play on
  23. present — there
  24. mug — to rob

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