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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. swing — in golf
  4. suit — in cards
  5. staff — employees
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. current — electric
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. fine — all right
  10. staff — employees
  11. current — of water
  12. sharp — clever
  13. track — a path
  14. staff — a stick
  15. current — happening now
  16. bass — low music
  17. fine — high quality
  18. suit — to fit
  19. swing — to play on
  20. track — a song
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. suit — clothes
  23. swing — music
  24. track — to keep track

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