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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · bay · season · deal · swing · cue · bat · bass

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. swing — to play on
  3. deal — to handle
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bat — the animal
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bass — the fish
  14. cue — for pool
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. swing — music
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. season — of the year
  19. bass — low music
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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