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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — a partner
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. rush — hurry
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pop — soda
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. squash — to crush
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bass — low music
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. mate — to breed
  19. foot — a measure
  20. pop — music
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. pop — to visit
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. staff — a stick

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