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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pop — soda
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bass — low music
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. swing — to play on
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rule — a law
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. rule — government
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. swing — in golf
  18. pop — music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bass — the fish
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pop — to visit
  24. squash — the vegetable

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