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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: bass · trunk · swing · mug · pit · wake · firm · hand

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. mug — to rob
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bass — low music
  6. mug — a face
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pit — a hole
  9. mug — a cup
  10. swing — in golf
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. hand — help
  13. firm — steady
  14. swing — to play on
  15. firm — a company
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pit — in a race
  19. swing — music
  20. wake — a trail
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. hand — in cards
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. firm — decided

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