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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — to tease
  3. swing — in golf
  4. staff — employees
  5. bass — low music
  6. rest — what's left
  7. staff — a stick
  8. rest — what's left
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rest — a break
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bass — the fish
  15. rush — hurry
  16. staff — employees
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. swing — music
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. kid — child
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bass — the instrument

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