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

Word bank: suit · deal · bass · racket · foot · fall · swing · kick

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bass — low music
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. suit — clothes
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. fall — to drop
  9. foot — a measure
  10. swing — in golf
  11. suit — in cards
  12. fall — to drop
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. suit — to fit
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bass — the fish
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. swing — to play on
  21. fall — the season
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. swing — music
  24. kick — with a leg

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