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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.

Make a worksheet

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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mug — to rob
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. prune — to trim
  8. current — happening now
  9. mug — a face
  10. current — of water
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mug — a cup
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bass — low music
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. rest — what's left
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. current — electric
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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