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

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. mark — a grade
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. dip — to sink
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. net — after costs
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. fine — high quality
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cap — of ice
  12. court — for sport
  13. net — for catching
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bass — low music
  16. mark — a trace
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bass — the fish
  19. net — in sport
  20. court — of a king
  21. fine — all right
  22. cap — a lid
  23. court — of law
  24. mark — to pay attention

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