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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — in golf
  3. track — a path
  4. swing — to play on
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. craft — boats
  8. bass — low music
  9. track — to keep track
  10. craft — a skill
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bass — the fish
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — the underground
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. track — a song
  20. lie — to recline
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. saw — the tool

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