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

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bass — the fish
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. track — a path
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. track — to keep track
  13. suit — to fit
  14. track — a song
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bass — low music
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — clothes

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