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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: squash · bass · swing · prune · game · mug · court · wave

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. court — for sport
  3. game — a match
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. game — wild animals
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. court — of a king
  9. squash — to crush
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. court — of law
  17. bass — low music
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bass — the fish
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. squash — the sport
  24. mug — a face

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