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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bass — low music
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. net — for catching
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. net — after costs
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. can — a tin
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. pound — a weight
  16. snap — to click
  17. bass — the fish
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. can — a tin
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. net — in sport
  24. row — to paddle

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