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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. root — the cause
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bass — low music
  9. board — a committee
  10. mug — a cup
  11. root — of a word
  12. squash — the sport
  13. board — to get on
  14. file — a document
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. file — a tool
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. squash — to crush
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. file — a line of people
  24. lie — an untruth

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