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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. file — a tool
  3. bank — for money
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. swing — music
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bass — low music
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bank — for money
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. mate — a friend
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bass — the fish
  21. swing — to play on
  22. snap — to click
  23. file — a document
  24. mate — a partner

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