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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 120 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: swing · arm · suit · bass · bear · bat · present · key

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. key — for a lock
  10. present — there
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — the time now
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bear — the animal
  17. key — in music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. key — the most important part
  20. swing — in golf
  21. suit — in cards
  22. swing — music
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bass — low music

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