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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bass — the fish
  3. charge — in control
  4. net — after costs
  5. present — there
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. dip — to sink
  9. present — the time now
  10. charge — a price
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. tube — a container
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. face — part of the head
  16. date — the fruit
  17. face — to point toward
  18. charge — electricity
  19. face — to confront
  20. tube — the underground
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. net — in sport
  23. present — a gift
  24. bass — low music

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