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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · swing · pop · face · racket · scale · key · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. pop — soda
  3. face — to point toward
  4. swing — music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bear — the animal
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. face — to confront
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bass — the fish
  17. key — in music
  18. face — part of the head
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pop — music
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. scale — in music
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pop — to visit

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