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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: mug · chair · rush · ground · bass · key · swing · squash

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. swing — in golf
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. mug — a face
  5. ground — a position
  6. key — for a lock
  7. squash — to crush
  8. swing — music
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bass — low music
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mug — to rob
  15. squash — the sport
  16. key — in music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. rush — hurry
  19. chair — a leader
  20. ground — the earth
  21. key — the most important part
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. swing — to play on

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