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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. scale — in music
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. club — for dancing
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. scale — size or range
  8. kid — to tease
  9. mate — a friend
  10. club — for golf
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. mate — to breed
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — child
  16. bass — the fish
  17. mate — a partner
  18. club — a group

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