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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 116 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: firm · face · cue · swing · mate · suit · bass · kid

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. mate — a friend
  3. cue — for pool
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bass — low music
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. face — to confront
  8. firm — steady
  9. cue — a signal
  10. swing — to play on
  11. face — to point toward
  12. suit — clothes
  13. kid — to tease
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. suit — to fit
  17. firm — decided
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. cue — a hint
  20. mate — to breed
  21. firm — a company
  22. face — part of the head
  23. kid — child
  24. mate — a partner

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