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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: spell · swing · net · sharp · mug · track · wound · bass

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. net — for catching
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bass — the fish
  5. net — in sport
  6. mug — a face
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. net — after costs
  9. wound — an injury
  10. spell — a short time
  11. swing — in golf
  12. mug — a cup
  13. wound — an injury
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. track — to keep track
  16. swing — music
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — clever
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. bass — low music
  23. track — a song
  24. swing — to play on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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