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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 116 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. court — for sport
  3. wake — a trail
  4. firm — steady
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — in a race
  7. mug — to rob
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bass — low music
  11. court — of law
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pop — soda
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. swing — music
  16. court — of a king
  17. mug — a face
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. firm — decided
  24. swing — to play on

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