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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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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: key · tear · pop · bass · kick · swing · arm · season

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — in golf
  4. pop — to visit
  5. key — in music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. season — of the year
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pop — soda
  12. key — the most important part
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. key — for a lock
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. tear — from crying
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. kick — in football
  20. pop — music
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bass — low music
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — in sport

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