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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bound — certain
  3. march — the month
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bass — low music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bound — tied together
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. march — music
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bass — the fish
  13. season — of the year
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. season — in sport
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bound — obliged
  18. march — the month
  19. bark — to shout
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. mouse — for a computer

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