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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. key — for a lock
  5. swing — music
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bass — low music
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. key — in music
  11. snap — to click
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bass — the fish
  14. swing — to play on
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — to push
  20. content — happy
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. key — the most important part
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. content — the amount

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