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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bat — the animal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cap — a lid
  7. toast — bread
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. rock — music
  10. swing — in golf
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. swing — to play on
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. cap — a hat
  16. staff — employees
  17. bass — the fish
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. swing — music
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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