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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 116 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. mark — a trace
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. ball — a great time
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mark — a grade
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. snap — to click
  19. mine — for digging
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bass — the fish
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. race — humankind

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